Guia de usuario GuitarPro7

User Guide
Summary
Introduction ...........................................................................................................1
Basics .......................................................................................................................3
What is Guitar Pro
4
Installation
5
Update
14
Getting help
17
What’s new
19
Features
22
Musical notation
24
Where to find music sheets?
27
Navigating in Guitar Pro ...................................................................................29
Main screen
30
Navigate in a score
37
Score display
41
Writing a score.....................................................................................................45
Score structure
46
Score
46
Tracks
53
Bars
57
Sections
60
Voices
61
Notes
64
Tuning
56
Score edition
68
Copy, paste and cut
68
Click on score elements
70
Automations
71
Assistants
74
Drums and percusions
76
Symbols
79
Bar
79
Note
84
Effects
87
Automations
101
Summary | i
Notation and design
Extras
102
104
Lyrics
104
Stylesheet
106
Audio in Guitar Pro .......................................................................................... 131
Score playback
132
Soundboard
136
Track sound
138
Score sound
144
MIDI
145
Line-in
147
Import and export files .................................................................................. 151
Import
152
ASCII
152
MIDI
153
Import MusicXML, PowerTab, TablEdit
158
Export
159
Audio
159
ASCII
160
MIDI
160
MusicXML
161
Adobe PDF
161
PNG
161
Printing
162
Tools .................................................................................................................... 163
Chord diagrams
164
Scales
169
Instrument views
171
Tuner
176
File protection
177
Fretlight
178
Browser
181
mySongBook ..................................................................................................... 185
What is mySongBook?
186
Open a file from mySongBook
187
Preferences ....................................................................................................... 189
General
190
Interface
192
Score errors
194
User information
195
Audio
196
Appendix ............................................................................................................ 201
Signature sounds
202
Effects
211
Shortcuts
216
ii | Summary
Chapter 1
Introduction
Introduction | 1
Welcome!
You have just purchased Guitar Pro 7.5, congratulations and welcome to the Guitar
Pro family!
Guitar Pro is back with its best version yet. Faster, stronger and modernized,
Guitar Pro 7.5 offers many new features.
Whether you are a longtime Guitar Pro user or a new user, you will find all the
necessary information in this user guide to make the best out of this software.
2 | Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2
Basics
The Basics chapter will give you a good overview of what Guitar Pro will offer you. It
covers all the elementary notions essential to discover and understand Guitar Pro.
Basics | 3
What is Guitar Pro?
Guitar Pro is a complete workshop for all
guitarists — beginning or advanced — who wish
to improve, write music, or simply use a virtual
backing band. Guitar Pro supports all fretted
instruments from 3 to 10 strings (guitars,
basses, banjo, mandolin, ukulele…), as well as
all and any instruments that can be in your band
or orchestra.
What Guitar Pro offers
• A complete yet user-friendly multitrack, tablature-centered score editor
for stringed instruments, which includes all the usual symbols and
specificities of those instruments, which display is optimized and
customizable.
• A powerful audio engine designed to yield faithful playback of the
sounds and effects of all types of guitars as well as of a hundred other
instruments (bass, strings, piano, drums, etc.), from samples and modelized
sounds of amps and effect units recorded in a professional studio. It is even
possible to plug a guitar and take advantage of these amps and effects.
• Everyday helping tools for practice, such as the tuner, the chord engine,
the scale engine, the guitar fretboard, etc..
• Opening out onto the world, with the many import/export functions
allowing you to make the most of hundreds of thousands of scores available
on the Internet.
• A vast music sheet library, mySongBook.com, that gives you access to a
large and legal selection of scores, accurately transcribed and arranged by
the Guitar Pro team.
4 | Chapter 2: Basics
Installation
Minimum system requirements
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
OS : Windows 7 or greater, macOS X 10.10 or greater
Architecture : 32 or 64-Bit
CPU : Dual-core CPU
Memory : 4 GB RAM
HD free space : 2 GB
Screen resolution : 960x720 pixels display
Administrator rights
Audio device
DVD-ROM drive or Internet connection required to download the
software.
How to get the application
From the website
You can easily download Guitar Pro from our website via this link (
https://www.guitar-pro.com/en/index.php?pg=download ) . Download the trial
version, you will then be able to activate Guitar Pro by entering your license
number.
“
Unlike previous versions, you don’t have to download RSE soundbanks separately
anymore, as they are now directly included in your installation package.
From the DVD-ROM
Insert the Guitar Pro DVD-ROM in your DVD drive.
• On Windows: If the setup program does not start automatically, doubleclick on My Computer, double-click on DVD-ROM drive, then double-click
on guitar-pro-7-setup.exe file and follow the instructions.
• On macOS: Double-click on the DVD-ROM that has appeared on your
desktop, then double-click on the guitar-pro-7-setup.pkg file and follow the
instructions.
Installation from the Guitar Pro DVD-ROM
Insert the Guitar Pro DVD-ROM in your drive.
Installation | 5
If the setup program does not start automatically, double-click on My Computer,
double-click on DVD-ROM drive, then double-click on guitar-pro-7-setup.exe file and
follow the instructions. You will be asked to accept the Guitar Pro Software End
User License Agreement and then select the setup directory for the software.
Installation
On macOS
Double-clicking
on
guitar-pro-7-setup.pkg
will
launch
the
installer. Follow then
the instructions.
You must accept the
Software
License
Agreement to install
Guitar Pro.
6 | Chapter 2: Basics
Choose the hard drive
where Guitar Pro will
be installed.
Guitar Pro installer
now contains the
Guitar
Pro
Soundbanks.
Make
sure
to
check
Soundbanks if you
have not install them
yet, or if they’re not
up-to-date.
Click then on Install
to launch the install
process. Enter your
user password.
Installation | 7
The installer is now
installing Guitar Pro
on your computer.
This step might take a
few minutes.
You will be prompted
by
the
following
screen
once
the
installation is done.
You can now launch
Guitar Pro by clicking
on its icon in the
Launchpad.
Congratulations,
you’ve now installed
Guitar Pro!
8 | Chapter 2: Basics
On Windows
Double-clicking
on
guitar-pro-7-setup.exe will launch the
installer. Follow then the
instructions.
Please first accept the license
agreement.
Guitar Pro installer now contains
the Guitar Pro Soundbanks.
Make
sure
to
check
Soundbanks if you have not
install them yet, or if they’re not
up-to-date.
Choose where to install Guitar
Pro on your hard drive.
Installation | 9
The installer is able to add a
shortcut on the desktop. Check
the option if you need it.
Guitar Pro is now ready to be
installed. Click on Install to
launch the installation.
The installer now installs Guitar
Pro
on
your
computer.
Depending on your computer,
this operation might takes a few
minutes.
10 | Chapter 2: Basics
The installer informs you when
the installation is complete.
Check Launch Guitar Pro 7 to
immediately launch Guitar Pro
when you click on Finish.
Otherwise, click on the Guitar
Pro icon in the Start menu or on
the Desktop.
Congratulations, you’ve
installed Guitar Pro!
now
Installation | 11
License activation
The license activation works the same way on macOS and Windows.
The first time you launch Guitar
Pro, a window will show up and
ask for software activation. You
can try Guitar Pro for free for 30
days. After that trial period, Guitar
Pro won’t start anymore.
Enter your license in the
corresponding text field. The
Guitar Pro license is composed of 3
sequences
of
8
characters
(numbers and letters), looking like
this:
XXXXXXXX-XXXXXXXX-XXXXXXXX .
Don’t forget to check that you
agree to the license agreement.
If your license is valid, a green tick
will show up in the textfield, and
the Activate button will be
enabled.
12 | Chapter 2: Basics
Once the license entered, the next
window confirms that Guitar Pro is
activated on your computer.
Installation | 13
Guitar Pro updates
Guitar Pro 7.x updates are free. These updates will fix some minor bugs and add
some little features. By default, Guitar Pro 7 will check if an update is available every
week.
You can change this periodicity from the Preferences window, General tab
(Guitar Pro 7 > Preferences menu on macOS or File > Preferences menu on
Windows).
Still you can manually update Guitar Pro from the program itself as follow: go to
Guitar Pro 7 > Check for updates on macOS and go to Help > Check for
updates on Windows.
If the latest version is already installed on your computer, there is no need to
update. Guitar Pro will inform you this with the following window.
Guitar Pro is up-to-date (macOS).
Guitar Pro is up-to-date (Windows).
14 | Chapter 2: Basics
Updates on macOS
If Guitar Pro detects an
available update online, the
update will pop up. This
window lists the new
features
and
bugfixes
brought by the new version.
Click on Install Update to
launch the process.
Guitar Pro will first download the update.
Once downloaded on your hard drive,
click on Install and Relaunch to install
the update.
The updater will install the new version
and Guitar Pro will automatically
relaunch after the installation is done.
Guitar Pro updates | 15
Updates on Windows
If Guitar Pro detects an available
update online, the update
window will pop up. This window
lists the new features and
bugfixes brought by the new
version. Click on Download to
launch the process.
Guitar Pro will first download the
update.
Once downloaded on your hard
drive, click on Install and
Relaunch to install the update.
The updater will install the new
version (similar to a normal
installation) and Guitar Pro will
automatically relaunch after the
installation is done.
16 | Chapter 2: Basics
Getting help
Resources
You will find many useful resources, FAQ, videos and technical specifications sheets
available from our website ( https://www.guitar-pro.com/ ) . Please check the
Support ( https://support.guitar-pro.com ) section from the Guitar Pro website.
Support is available from Guitar Pro in the Help > Getting help… menu (shortcut
F1 ).
We invite you to check this section prior to contact us, because you will likely find
the answer or technical solution you are looking for.
Technical support
Before contacting technical support
Prior to contact technical support, please make sure to install the last available
version of Guitar Pro 7. Consult the articles available from the Support section
( https://support.guitar-pro.com/hc/en-us ) of our website, more than likely you
should be able to find the answers to your questions.
Go to the Guitar Pro 7 > Check for updates menu (macOS) or Help > Check
for updates menu (Windows).
Contact technical support
If you did not find the answer to your question among the available resources,
feel free to contact us and fill in the web form available from the Support (
https://support.guitar-pro.com/hc/en-us/requests/new ) section. We’ll be happy
to help. Please provide any useful information regarding your issue (steps to
reproduce, operating system, audio configuration etc.).
Getting information about your software
To get information about your software, use the Guitar Pro 7 > About Guitar
Pro 7 menu on macOS or Help > About Guitar Pro 7 menu on Windows. This
opens the About window, showing you some information about the software.
This window contains general information, the end user license agreement, the
licenses of the libraries used in Guitar Pro and the name of the Guitar Pro team
members.
This is where you can get the version and build numbers, our Support team
migh ask you these information.
Getting help | 17
You can also check your license validity here and remove your license if you want to
enter an other one.
About dialog
18 | Chapter 2: Basics
What’s new
A brand new graphical interface
Following comments and suggestions on precedent version, Guitar Pro graphical
user interface has been reconsidered and improved.
Hidable side panels and a toolbar have been integrated to give a quick access to the
main features in one click.
The interface is now compatible with QHD screens and Retina screens.
Tablature for all tracks
Score display has been drastically improved to gain flexibility and capacity.
Tablature for all tracks, including percussions, are now back. Convert standard
music notation into guitar tablature automatically.
New audio processing
Hundreds of instrumental sounds are included in the software for you to customize
your Guitar Pro render sound into anything you want and make your files play
exactly like your favorite song.
Track sound management (sound bank + effects chain applied to this sound bank)
has been reconsidered to make choosing a sound easier.
New audio export types
New audio output formats have been included: MP3, FLAC and OGG.
Guitar Line in
Plug your guitar in and enjoy the built-in effects and amp models. You can use the
Guitar-Pro track of your choice or create the effect chain yourself. For instance, if
the file is multi-track, you can learn the guitar solo and let the software play the bass
and drums tracks along.
Polyphonic tuner
Just one brush-down stroke allows you to check the tuning of all six strings at once.
The tuner also allows you to tune strings individually.
What’s new | 19
Click & edit
A major new feature for score editing. All you need to do now is click on the
following elements of the score to edit them: title, clef, key signature, tempo,
sections, tuning, chords, triplet feel, fermata…
Local files browser
The browser lists all Guitar Pro files available on your hard disk or in a specific
folder. The search box, together with the visual and audio preview, allow you to
quickly find the files you are looking for.
Easier mySongBook access and free Tab of the Day
The browser also offers immediate access to the entire mySongBook collection (on
subscription) or to files purchased on the website. Access a free new “Tab of the
Day” every day.
Improved track-tuning window
We have completely redesigned the tuning window to make it more intuitive and
easy to use. Now customize the tunings of your Guitar Pro 7.5 tracks string by string
in just one click.
MIDI imports customizable
The MIDI import window now offers many settings for you to get higher-quality
Guitar Pro files: track merging, importing onto existing files, quantization, choice
of notation and sound, preview…
Files converter
The batch converter allows you to convert all your Guitar Pro 1 to Guitar Pro 6 files
(.gtp,.gp3,.gp4,.gp5,.gpx) into Guitar Pro 7 format (.gp). Simply choose the folder
(and subfolders, if any) containing the files to convert. The original files are not
deleted.
Tablature editing up to 9 and 10 strings
The Guitar Pro features have been extended to include tablature editing for 9and 10-string guitars. The chord diagrams and the fretboard also adapt to those
instruments. Thus, Guitar Pro 7.5 now makes it possible to edit tablatures for 3- to
10-string instruments.
20 | Chapter 2: Basics
Enhanced soundbanks for orchestra and ukulele
Guitar Pro’s audio rendering makes use of a library that includes over 200 realistic
instrument sounds, which allows you to fine-tune the sounds of the tracks in your
compositions exactly as you wish. We have improved the accuracy of the
soundbanks for the following instrument families: strings, woodwinds, brass,
percussion, and ukulele.
Optimization of the drums instrument view
With the drums view, you can choose to display the drum-kit components above
each notehead on the score preview. If you like writing your drum tracks in
tablature with MIDI numbers, these are detailed on the bottom part of the window
so they can be selected quickly without need to memorize MIDI numbers.
What’s new | 21
Features
Guitar Pro is a music sheet editor and includes multiple features in order to
improve music sheet writing and reading.
Professional music sheet edition
Configurable editor
You can edit your notes directly on the standard score (standard music sheet), on
the tablature or on the slash score. All the usual musical symbols pertaining to
the guitar and to other stringed instruments are available.
The view is configurable: you can either work in page mode or screen mode to
make the most of the available screen space. Zoom options have been improved and
allow you to adjust the sheet size according to your needs.
You may change the proportions and the page settings of your document at any
time, with the Stylesheet.
You can also select whichever tracks you want to be visible.
Musical accuracy
Music sheet writing is made easy because Guitar Pro automatically handles this
notation’s rules and constraints.
Guitar Pro automatically adjusts the vertical placement of the various elements
of the score. Note input is made very fast, for a result that is equivalent to
professional songbooks.
Guitar Pro automatically adds the barlines and checks the synchronization of the
various tracks. Your score thus remains consistent in terms of musical rules.
Such rigor may appear constraining to the beginner, but it proves very pedagogical
in the end, and is essential anyway for the score to be played correctly.
Mistakes will always be displayed in red in Guitar Pro. You can activate or disable
this option from the File > Preferences > Score errors menu (Windows) or the
Guitar Pro 7 > Preferences > Scores errors menu (macOS)
We did our best to respect as faithfully as possible the exigences of musical theory
and based ourselves on Behind Bars by Elaine Gould, a reference book for
composers, arrangers, teachers, editors, and music processors.
22 | Chapter 2: Basics
Composing help tools
Each Guitar Pro tool relates to the attributes of the active track. Whether you are
using the chord engine, the scale analyst, or the tuner, all the results you get will
thus be consistent with the tuning chosen for the current track.
Interactive instrument views (guitar, bass, piano, drums) are also included,
allowing you to quickly visualize what is actually played/playable, along with
existing scales.
Music sheet play-back
Guitar Pro allows to play back, listen to and view any scores, to write music or learn
how to play new songs.
The audio engine offers more than 200 world-class licensed soundbanks
(realistic instrument sounds), pedals and amps. The tracks’ sounds are
customizable according to one’s needs. To simplify sound configuring (sound bank
+ effects chain), Guitar Pro offers from now on 1000 sound templates.
File sharing and printing
Guitar Pro makes it easy to print, e-mail scores, or save them onto an external
drive at any time. Many import and export formats are supported. Import : Guitar
Pro, MIDI, MusicXML, ASCII, TablEdit, PowerTab. Export : Guitar Pro, MIDI,
MusicXML, ASCII, Audio, PDF, PNG.
Features | 23
Musical notation
It is recommended that you know how to read tablature and have a few notions
of rhythm before you use Guitar Pro, unless of course if you know how to read
standard notation. Here is a quick overview of some basic notions.
Tablature
Tablature being Guitar Pro’s essence, understanding it and being able to read it is
important.
Why tablature?
Tablature notation was created to make music easier to read for fretted stringed
instruments. It can be learned quickly, and you do not really need to know any
musical theory. It shows the strings that are played, which is important actually
since any given note can be played on different strings.
How to read a tablature
Each guitar string is represented by a line. The numbers indicate on which frets
the fingers must press to play the notes. The number 0 means that the string is
played open — that is, without pressing on any fret. The lowest line represents
the lowest-pitched string (low E), while the top line represents the highest-pitched
string of the guitar (high E). This actually corresponds to what you see when you
lean over your guitar, as opposed to what you see when you are facing it (spectator
view).
A tablature in Guitar Pro
Understanding rhythm
Notes can have different durations. The duration of a note is not expressed in
seconds, but as a multiple of the tempo. A quarter note is one beat. The tempo is
expressed in bpm (beats per minute). So if the tempo is 60, a quarter note lasts
1 second. If the tempo is 120, the quarter note is 1/2 second. The other notes are
defined relative to the whole note — on the staff below are a whole note (bar 1), then
two half-notes (bar 2), four quarter-notes (bar 3), and eight eighth-notes (bar 4).
24 | Chapter 2: Basics
Rhythm notions: whole, half-notes, quarter-notes, eighth-notes
When a note is dotted, its duration is one and a half time its original value (x1.5).
N-tuplets (triplets, quintuplets, sextuplets…) consist in playing a certain number of
notes in a given time-spam. For example, a triplet of eighth notes (3 x 1/2 beats =
1.5 beat) is played on one beat; or a quintuplet of eighth notes (5 x 1/2 beats = 2.5
beats) also on one beat.
Clef, key signature and time signature
At the beginning of each score, you can find these 3 important pieces of
information, they are always displayed in this order: the clef (1), the key signature
(2) and the time signature (3).
Clef, key signature and time signature
• The clef tells you the pitch for the notes on each line of the stave. The most
well-known clef is the G, but other clefs are also used: F and C.
• The key signature tells you what accidentals (sharps or flats) are
systematic in the score.
• The time signature sets the number of beats per bar. For example, for a
time signature of 3/4: the 4 indicates that the reference time is the quarter
note, and the 3 indicates that there are 3 beats per bar. In this case, there
are 3 quarter-notes in a bar. The common time is 4/4, which is widely used
in popular music (4 beats per bar).
Musical notation | 25
Chords
A chord is a sound made by 3 notes or more. Chord building is extremely
methodical. Guitar Pro uses English notation for chords. Here is the equivalent in
Romance languages.
English
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
26 | Chapter 2: Basics
Romance languages
La
Si
Do
Re
Mi
Fa
Sol
Where to find music sheets?
Except for a few examples illustrating the Guitar Pro possibilities, Guitar Pro is not
sold with a built-in free tabs catalog, and this for legal reasons.
A quick internet research will allow you to find thousands of tabs compatible with
Guitar Pro. Guitar Pro files are recognizable from their GP extension (7.x version),
GTP (1.x and 2.x versions), GP3 (3.X versions), GP4 (4.x versions), GP5 (5.x
versions), and GPX (6.x versions).
Guitar Pro can open all of those Guitar Pro files, whichever version they were made
with, from version 1 and higher.
To open a Guitar Pro file go to the File > Open menu or drag and drop the file
into the Guitar Pro’s window. You can also double-click on the file icon.
The last files you opened are accessible from the File > Open recent… menu.
Guitar Pro allows you to open the following file formats:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Guitar Pro
MIDI
MusicXML
TablEdit
ASCII
PowerTab
For More information consult the Import and export files chapter.
Arobas Music publishes mySongBook a high quality and legal tabs catalog, which
you’re invited to consult from this website ( https://www.mySongBook.com ) .
You’ll find more information in the dedicated chapter.
Where to find music sheets? | 27
28 | Chapter 2: Basics
Chapter 3
Navigating in Guitar Pro
This chapter explains you how to navigate in Guitar Pro. You will learn information
about the Guitar Pro main screen, the different panels available and how to use
efficiently.
Jordan Madrid ( https://unsplash.com/@jordanmadrid )
Navigating in Guitar Pro | 29
Main screen
The Guitar Pro graphical user interface has been totally remade to offer you the best
possible experience and a better comfort in use.
Guitar Pro main screen
Panels are divided as follow:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Tool bar
Tab bar
Edition palette
Workspace
Inspector
Global view
30 | Chapter 3: Navigating in Guitar Pro
Interface panels
1/ Toolbar
Located at the top of your Guitar Pro window, the toolbar allows you to quickly
access the playing and view options. It includes a direct access to the essential
functions of the application. This bar has been developed to make Guitar Pro usable
even without side panels and global view.
Tool bar
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
“
Show/hide interface panels
Zoom
Display modes
Undo/redo modifications
Print
Navigation and playback
LCD
Loop and playback settings
Global tonality
Instrument views
Guitar tuner
Line-in
Fretlight
The toolbar adapts its content to the available window width. Some buttons are
hidden to gain space. No worries: these actions can be found in the application’s
menus anyway.
2/ Tab bar
Located right below the toolbar, the tab bar shows the active document as well as
the other opened documents.
Tab bar
Main screen | 31
You can open as many files as you want, the limit being your computer’s capacity.
When opened documents count is too big for the available space, the tab bar shows
scrolling buttons to navigate among all the documents.
Modified files are marked with a little circle on the right side.
Locked files are marked with a small lock on the left side. Clicking on this lock let
you unlock the tab, if you know the password.
When moving the mouse over a tab, the buttons to save and close the file appear.
Tab for a modified file
Tabs also feature a contextual menu (right click on Windows, or ⌃ Click on
macOS) that allows you to close all tabs or open the folder containing the file on
your hard drive.
Contextual menu of a tab
32 | Chapter 3: Navigating in Guitar Pro
3/ Edition palette
Palette
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Currently edited voice
Bar symbols
Note symbols
Effect symbols
Notation symbols
Automation symbols
Multivoice
Design mode
Located on the left side of your window, the Edition palette gathers the main
edition tools and contains all of the symbols you need to write a score, in standard
as well as tablature notation, or in rhythmical notation (also called Slash notation).
You just need to click on a button for the corresponding element or attribute to be
affected to the notes you have selected.
For the symbols that need further configuration, a dialog window opens up allowing
you to select the desired symbol.
You will find an in-depth explanation of this panels in the Symbols part.
Main screen | 33
4/ Workspace
Located at the center of your window, the work area is simply where you write your
tracks and work on your scores by adding notes to your composition.
5/ Inspector
Located on the right side of Guitar Pro window, it is splited in 2 parts.
Score and Track inspectors
Score and Track inspectors
• Song inspector: Access to the song properties, set up your notation
options and finalise your sound mastering settings.
• Track inspector: Access to the current track properties, notation and
tuning options, sound and interpretation settings.
34 | Chapter 3: Navigating in Guitar Pro
6/ Global view
Global view
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Add track
Tracks names
Move up/down tracks
Multitrack
Mute
Solo
Volumes
Panoramics
Equalizers
Global view
The Soundboard, along with the Global View, allows for an audio tuning of each
track and a synthetic view of the score being played, in which you can click
directly to access a bar. You can also select multiple tracks in the Global view (which
is useful if you want to copy/paste easily many bars).
Screen layout
Apart from the workspace and the toolbar, Guitar Pro panels are all hidable to bring
you a better visibility, particularly in playback mode. Select the display option at the
top left of the main window to show or hide the panels. These commands are also
available in the View menu.
Show/Hide Guitar Pro panels
1. Show/Hide edition palette
2. Show/Hide global view
3. Show/Hide inspector
If you choose to hide the global view, you can use the Track menu, LCD display
(at the center of the toolbar), or keyboard shortcuts, to switch from one track to an
other.
Main screen | 35
You can also fill the whole screen by enabling full-screen display from the View/
Full Screen menu ( F11 on Windows or ⌃⌘F on macOS).
36 | Chapter 3: Navigating in Guitar Pro
Navigate in a score
Moving the cursor
Moving around in a score in Guitar Pro is extremely easy and you have several ways
to do so. The cursor’s position is always synchronised between the score and the
global view.
By clicking on the score
Cursor in the score
Clicking on the score moves the edition cursor to the pointed position. You can even
move in the score during the playback to restart from the pointed position without
stopping the playback.
By using the keyboard
The many Shortcuts allow you to easily navigate around your score — from note to
note, bar to bar, or track to track (see Keyboard shortcuts.
Here is a table showing the most used shortcuts to move the cursor.
Action
Previous beat
Previous line
Next line
Previous Staff
Next staff
Erase note
Shortcut
←
↑
↓
⇤
⇥
⌫
Navigate in a score | 37
By clicking in the global view
Global view cursor
1.
2.
3.
4.
Bar numbers
Bars
Sections
Cursor
To place the cursor on a specific track, click on the track in the left part of the global
view. The edition cursor gets placed on the first beat of the current bar in that track,
or on the beat being played at the time.
A click on the right part of the global view allows you to be more precise and choose
both the track and the bar you want the cursor to go.
The right part also shows the track’s section list. A click on the first bar of the
section will bring the cursor to the beginning of the section.
“
If you’re using a mouse with a wheel, press
horizontally.
38 | Chapter 3: Navigating in Guitar Pro
Alt
while scrolling to navigate
By clicking on transport buttons in the toolbar
Transport buttons
The toolbar displays various transport buttons. From left to right, here are their
functionalities:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Go to the first bar
Go to the previous bar
Launch/stop playback
Go to the next bar
Go to the last bar
Moreover, the button displaying the track name at the center of the toolbar will
change the current track too. When you click on it, a menu pops up allowing you to
choose an other track.
By using the Section menu
The section markers represent a useful mean to move between different sections of
the score. Use the Section menu to find the list of the available sections in your
score.
Scrolling the score
Scrolling in edition mode
Scrolling the score without moving the cursor is possible. Horizontal and vertical
scrolling bars in the workspace will fit your needs for that purpose. Also, mouse
wheel and trackpad will both scroll the score.
Inthe same way, it is also possible to scroll tracks and bars in the global view.
Otherwise, this interface part is vertically resizable.
“
If you don’t see the track you are currently working on in the global view, don’t
worry. As soon as you edit the score, the global view will automatically position to
the currently edited track and bar.
Navigate in a score | 39
Scrolling in playback mode
When Guitar Pro enters playback mode, the cursor automatically moves, and
scrolling follows it to ensure its visibility. It is then still possible to manually scroll
the score and the global view. They will stop to automatically follow the cursor, until
you enable again this automatic system.
To re-enable automatic scrolling on the score, click on the button Resume autoscroll at the top left corner of the workspace.
40 | Chapter 3: Navigating in Guitar Pro
Score display
In order to use Guitar Pro in the best way, making most of the display options is
important.
Display modes
Various display modes are available in Guitar Pro from the View menu.
• Vertical Page mode: Vertical scrolling of your pages.
• Horizontal Page mode: Horizontal scrolling of your pages.
• Grid mode: The number of horizontal pages adapts to your window size.
Scrolling is vertical.
• Parchment mode: Removes the page breaks, for a more compact view of
the score.
• Vertical screen mode: Make most of the full available window space. Bar
layout is done automatically.
• Horizontal screen mode: Make most of the full available window space.
Useful in multitrack view.
“
Use the Page-Parchment or Page-Grid mode if you want to work on the paper
view.
Score display | 41
Multitrack view
Guitar Pro allows you to either display one single track, all your tracks at the same
time or even some of your tracks.
Activate the multitrack mode from the View > Multitrack menu (also available
with F3 keyboard shortcut). All your tracks will be displayed when the Multitrack
is activated. Simply disable this option in order to display one single track.
The multitrack mode is also available from the Global View. Select the multitrack
icon located above the visibility icons in the left part of the panel.
Multitrack shortcut
Each one of your track is accessible from the Global View located at the bottom of
your window. It is also from the Global View that you have the possibility to hide or
display some of your tracks when the Multitrack option is activated. To do so select
the visibility icon as follow:
1. Enable/disable multitrack mode
2. Hide/show tracks individually
42 | Chapter 3: Navigating in Guitar Pro
Shortcuts
A large part of Guitar Pro features is accessible via keyboard shortcuts. Some of
them even have multiple dedicated shortcuts. These shortcuts are not customizable.
We invite you to memorize your favorite shortcuts in order to speed up your editing.
When the mouse is over buttons that have shortcuts, you will notice a tooltip
indicating the shortcut equivalent to clicking on the button. Likewise, Guitar Pro
menu items display their associated shortcut.
All the available shortcuts are listed in this user guide appendix from this page.
Shortcuts | 43
44 | Chapter 3: Navigating in Guitar Pro
Chapter 4
Writing a score
This chapter details how to write a score in Guitar Pro. Among others you will learn
how to edit your scores and which notions it involves, the structure of your song
and how you can improve its presentation. The different symbols used in Guitar Pro
and their functions are also developed in the following pages.
James Baldwin ( https://unsplash.com/@chillysheep )
Writing a score | 45
Score structure
This section details the anatomy of a score in Guitar Pro. It develops how to create a
new score from scratch. How to deal with notes, bars, voices, sections, tracks, etc…
You will also learn how to set up the tuning of your choice in Guitar Pro.
Scores
In Guitar Pro, a score corresponds to a Guitar Pro file. Guitar Pro makes it
possible to work on several files at the same time. Each file will appear as a tab in
the tab bar. The tab bar is located below the toolbar and above the workspace.
By default, Guitar Pro suggests creating a new score or going back to a work in
progress. However, you can create a score at any time with the following steps.
“
You can choose to reopen the files of the previous session by activating the option
Open last session documents from the Preferences window, in the General
tab.
Creating a new score
Creating a score can be achieved from the File menu, the welcome page, the tab
bar, and also with the Ctrl+N shortcut on Windows and the ⌘N on macOS.
46 | Chapter 4: Writing a score
Guitar Pro welcome page
“File > New” menu
This menu opens a blank new score, you then have the possibility to start your score
from scratch. By default, the file is empty and Guitar Pro asks you to add a track
by opening the track creation wizard. For more information consult the Tracks
chapter.
This is equivalent to clicking on the New button on the welcome page.
“
The default template that is opened from the File > New menu can be customized
in the Preferences window.
Score structure | 47
“File > New From Template” menu
This menu creates a new score from one of the available predefined templates.
This is equivalent to clicking on the Templates button on the welcome page.
Tab bar
The + button located at the right of the tab bar opens a small menu offering you
to create or open a file. To create a new file, click on the New menu.
Song Information
You can access and set up the song information such as the title, artist name, etc…
from the Song inspector located on the right of your Guitar Pro 7 window (see
Navigate in Guitar Pro > Main Screen section).
From this section you will be able to set up or edit the following information related
to your song:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
“
Title
Artist
Subtitle
Album
Words
Music
Copyright
Transcriber
Notice
Instructions
You can also click on one of these elements (title, artist,etc…) directly in your score
to access the Song Inspector and edit the information.
Key signature
From the Edition panel, click on
to open the Key signature window, or click
directly on a key signature of the score.
Select the key and the mode (major or minor) of the score. If you do not know
which one it is, you can leave the default value (C major), as it will not change the
standard notation. Click OK to continue.
48 | Chapter 4: Writing a score
Key Signature Windows
The concert tone option makes it possible to apply the selected key signature
to the concert tone instead of the tone of the track. The other tone (concert or
transposed tone) will be calculated consequently. This notion is developed further
down this page.
Clef
The instrument you select for the track will automatically set a G or F Clef, but you
can also change it by clicking on in the edition palette, or by clicking directly on
it on the score.
If the transpose button is activated the notes will be recaculated in order to sound
the same way. If the transpose button is disabled the score won’t be affected, but
the notes won’t be the same.
Clef window
Time signature
Click on in the edition palette or go to the Bar > Time signature menu to open
the Time Signature window. You can also directly click on the key signature of the
score.
Score structure | 49
Choose a signature for the score (it is set by default on 4/4). The time signature
determines the number of beats in each bar. In that window you can also
choose how to link the beams by default.
Time signature window
Concert tone
The concert tone is what a conductor uses. The notes displayed are the ones you
actually hear. The transposing tone is what the musicians use; it is mostly used
for wind instruments, and refers more to the position of their fingers than to the
actual melody.
For instance, for someone playing a Bb clarinet the Bb will appear as a C — with
every other note being correspondingly shifted, and the key signature as well: the
Bb-tone signature will bear no accidentals, just like a C tone.
The transposition in Guitar Pro 7 applies only to the note, the octave, the capo and
the selected octave.
“
Access the concert tone button directly from the Song Inspector.
Instruments transposition
When a guitar is tuned with a non standard tuning (half tone below for example),
it is easier to consider that the instrument kept its standard tuning and as a result
keep your usual habits and marks. It is then necessary to transpose the standard
notation, this one does not necessarily reflect the pitch of the note but instead the
right tune based on the standard tuning. This is what the transposition tonality
allows.
50 | Chapter 4: Writing a score
The setting up of a transposed guitar notation in your score depends on the
application of the option Capo and translated impact standard notation available
from the System and Staves tab of the Stylesheet window ( F7 shortcut).
Here are two scenarios:
When the option is checked
When this option is selected, the notation reflects the notes actually heard. The key
signature will be identical for both the guitar track and for the vocal track.
The correct clef is selected (B, 5#), which will prevent accidental alterations on both
tracks, but this choice is not recommended when we use the standard notation as a
reference on the guitar track. Indeed we are more used to read and play the guitar in
standard tuning, as a result we instinctually play a E by playing the opened E string
on the guitar. In this situation a E will have to be played from the first fret of the
opened E string which force us to transpose our playing compared to our reading
habits. It is easier to display a transposed notation for your reading and so keep
your usual reading habits.
The score when the option is checked
When the option is unchecked
Once this option selected a transposition will be automatically applied on the guitar
track in order to compensate the modified tuning or the capodastre. The notation
will no longer reflect the real pitch of the notes, but the reading is easier as we use a
standard tuning.
Score structure | 51
The score when the option is checked
The correct tonality is chosen (B, 5 #) for the vocal track, using the transposition
settings on the guitar track we have now a correct key signature on each track,
allowing us an easier reading and avoiding accidental alterations.
You can notice that the transposition has been modified in the Transposition
tonality section of the track inspector.
Transposition tonality in the inspector
Transposing instruments
It is possible to set up a transposition tonality for each track from the
Transposition tonality section of the track inspector.
This option allows you to automatically manage the displaying of transposing
instruments such as trumpets, saxophones, etc. You just need to select (from the
scrolling menu) which note will be heard for a written C in the score.
“
The concert tone has a direct impact on the transposition. The transposition is only
valid when the concert tone is deactivated, otherwise the displayed notes are the
interpreted notes.
52 | Chapter 4: Writing a score
Tracks
A track in Guitar Pro is equivalent to an instrument participating in the score
execution. Notes are written on a track. If your file does not have any track, you
have to create one before being able to write notes.
Adding a new track
Guitar Pro can handle a virtually unlimited number of simultaneous tracks (Guitar
Pro however, may experience slow and other unwanted behavior if the file is too
bulky).
To add a new track, go to the Track > Add menu.
Track creation window
The instrument window pops up. This window allows you to configure your track
settings. You will still be able to easily find and modify these settings from the track
inspector (right panel), once the track is created.
1. Choose your instrument type between: stringed, orchestra, drums, MIDI.
2. Then select the instrument of your choice in the lower instrument
division.
3. Set up the information related to your track: name, color, icon.
4. Select your notation type (standard, tablature, slash) and staff type
(simple or grand staff).
5. Select or adapt your tuning.
Score structure | 53
6. Select the sound that you want to apply to your track. Note that you can
listen to a preview of this sound by selecting the play button.
7. Once that you applied your settings, select Create and finalise the creation
of your track. Your track appears now in Guitar Pro.
“
If you want to save your settings for the next time you use the same instrument
when creating a new track, simply click on the Save instrument settings icon button
from the bottom left of the window.
In Guitar Pro each tracks have the same number of bars in order to keep the musical
coherence.
Removing a track
Two methods are available to delete a track. You can use the Track > Delete
menu, or right-click on the track you want to delete from the global view, then select
Delete from contextual menu.
Contextual menu of a track in the global view
Changing tracks order
The tracks order may not be suited to you. You can still change the tracks order as
much as you need.
To move a track, place the cursor on this specific track and use the Track > Move
Up menu or the Track > Move Down menu. You will find equivalent actions in
the contextual menu of the track in the Global View. The Global View header also
features two buttons to move up and down the current track
.
Track properties
Track properties are accessible from the track inspector located on the right of your
Guitar Pro window. This is your main entry point to customize your track.
54 | Chapter 4: Writing a score
Track inspector
This track inspector can be divided into four sections as follow:
•
•
•
•
Track properties
Musical notation
Track sound
Interpretation options
Track information
From this section you have the possibility to name your track, give it a short name,
allocate a specific color and icon.
The color of your track will appear in the global view, located at the bottom of your
Guitar Pro window. This color is also shown in the toolbar, it allows you to notice
which track is currently edited.
The short name will appear at the beginning of your track within your score, if
the option is enabled in the stylesheet from the File > Stylesheet > Systems
and Staves menu. This will also be shown in the global view, if this view mode is
selected.
Score structure | 55
Musical notation
Notation
Choose the type of notation you want to display: standard, tablature, slash. You
can combine several notations.
Staves
You can choose between single staff or grand staff. If you already have notes on the
track, you will have several options to split or merge the staves:
• Divide on C3, keep all on the notes on the first staff, or the second staff.
• Merge the two staves, keep the first staff or keep the second staff.
Tuning
Change your tuning if necessary. Note that you can listen to a preview of your
tuning by selecting the play button. The track’s tuning is also the tuning on which
the Guitar Pro tuner is set on. For more information consult the Tuning section.
Transposition
You can here access to the transposition options.
Track sound settings
These settings and options are developed later in this guide, see the Track sound
section. Just know this part allows you to modify the sound of your track. A track
can contain multiple sounds because it can change sound during a score (for
instance if the guitar player activates an effect pedal such as distorsion at a specific
time of the score).
Interpretation options
Select your playing style: Pick, Finger, Picking or Bass Slap.
Select your interpretation options: palm mute, accentuation, auto let ring,
autobrush, stringed.
Palm mute
This technique consists in covering up your strings using the edge of your hand
from your guitar bridge. The more you go up your neck, the stronger is the effect,
until you obtain a totally muffled sound. Note that the Palm Mute is only available
with certain playing styles.
56 | Chapter 4: Writing a score
Accentuation
This option automatically accentuates specific times in your bars.
Auto let ring
This option consists in letting resonate the strings independently of the duration of
the note. A rest in your track will stop this effect for all the strings until a new note
is played.
Auto Brush
The notes included in a same chord are played with a slight offset in order to
simulate the strumming effect involved by the use of a guitar pick.
Stringed
The Stringed mode means that Guitar Pro considers your instrument as a stringed
instrument, and so can ring several notes with the same pitch simultaneously.
When this option is deactivated, the piano mode is activated by default.
Note that this Stringed mode affects your effects. The notes are sorted by string in
Stringed mode, but they are distinguished by pitch for the other playing styles.
Using the Stringed mode, it is not possible to let your note ring if an other note
of the same string is being played, while this option is possible when the Stringed
mode is deactivated.
Bars
Managing bars
Bars addition
In Guitar Pro there will necessarily be at least one bar per track. Thus, any given
bar “B” will bear the same tone and signature on track T1, T2, etc. Similarly, adding
a repeat sign (to open or close a section) will necessarily affect every track at once.
This guarantees the musical consistency of the score, and a satisfactory result when
you play it.
On the other hand, you will have to precisely define each track. You won’t be able to
create a hundred-bar guitar track for instance, and a percussion track with only one
bar playing in loops. You will have to reproduce the percussion bar on the 100 bars,
either by using Copy and Paste, or by resorting to repeat symbols (see Bar symbols).
Just as well, using the Bar > Insert Bar menu and Bar > Delete Bar menu will
cause a bar to be added or deleted on every track.
Score structure | 57
The Bar > Insert Bar menu will add a new bar before the current bar. The only
way to add a bar after the current bar is to move to the right by using the right key
of your keyboard.
Error management
Guitar Pro automatically manages barlines. When you move the edition cursor to
the right, it will automatically move to the next bar if the current bar is complete
according to the time signature chosen (for example 4 beats for a 4/4 time
signature, see the musical notation part). In case the bar is not complete yet, Guitar
Pro creates a new beat whose duration is the same as that of the preceding beat.
Whenever a bar is incomplete or too long, Guitar Pro displays it in red, unless it is
the bar you are currently editing.
The LCD shows you the actual duration of the current bar as well as its theoretical
duration. Whenever you move your cursor over that information, a tooltip will let
you know which voice is incomplete.
An incomplete bar
An incomplete bar as shown in the LCD
Systems organization
In Page or Parchment mode, it is possible to manually manage the number of bars
per line. To do so, you must use the Bar > Force break line and Bar > Prevent
line break menus.
The Bar > System layout lets you choose the default number of bars per system.
It resets the line-breaks.
The Start at current system option tells the program how to apply the changes.
If the option is checked the layout will be applied only to the bars that follow the
current system. Otherwise the layout will be applied to the whole document.
58 | Chapter 4: Writing a score
System layout window
Design mode
Access the design mode from the edition palette on the left of the window by
clicking on , or from the View menu.
The design mode lets you change the sizes of bars inside a system, as well as the
number of bars for each system.
Line-break functions only affect the active track or the multitrack view. It is
therefore possible to create a different arrangement of bars for each track, and an
other for the multitrack view.
To justify the last bar of the score to the right, you may simply add a line-break to
that last bar.
Design mode on the score
Once the design mode activated simply use the blue triangles as highlighted in the
above picture to increase or decrease the size of your bars.
The + and - icons allow you to add or remove bars to your system.
The ° icon allows you to reset the layout of this specific system.
Score structure | 59
Sections
What is a section?
Sections are markers that allow you to easily go to any part of the score. They can
be set as letters and/or names (Intro, Chorus, Verse, etc.).
The markers are tied to the bars and are therefore linked to the master track.
Consequently, you cannot define sections for a single track only.
You’ll find existing sections in the Section menu, in the global view and of course
on the score.
Add a section
Add a section from the Section > Edit menu, click on the section icon from the
Edition Palette, or right click on the master track of the global view. If no section
can be found at the cursor’s bar, a section will then be added.
You can box the section’s name by writing it between square brackets:
[My Section name] .
“
To copy and paste one or several sections you will have to use the Special paste
feature available from the Edit > Special paste menu.
From the Global View
Add a section is also possible from the Global View. Right-click on the desired bar
to open a contextual menu.
Add a section from the Global View
Similarly, a right-click on a section lets you modify it.
60 | Chapter 4: Writing a score
Modifying a section from the Global View
From the score
Modifying sections is made easy by clicking directly on them on the score.
Clicking on a section in the score
Navigating between sections
You can navigate between sections by using one of the following shortcut keys:
Action
Previous section
Next section
Windows shortcut
macOS shortcut
Ctrl+Alt+Left
⌥⌘←
Ctrl+Alt+Right
⌥⌘→
You can also go directly to a given section via the Edit > Go to... menu.
“
You can select a full section by double clicking on the related section in the global
view.
Voices
What are voices?
Guitar Pro handles up to 4 voices per track. Your track is composed of a main voice
(on which you write by default) to which is attached 3 other voices.
Voices allows to edit notes of different values on the same beat. Thus, multivoice
edition allows you to edit different voices on the same staff: editing separately the
bass voice, the melody and the rest of the chord while indicating different rhythms
and velocities on each voice. A note can only be on one voice at a time.
Score structure | 61
For instance, let’s examine the case of finger-picking. The first voice may contain
notes played by the right-hand thumb (generally the lowest strings) and the second
voice may contain the notes played by the other right-hand fingers (generally the
highest strings).
Editing one or multiple voices
The Edition > Voice menu allows you to choose the voice mode: which voice to
edit and enabling or not the multivoice mode. Theses options are also shown in the
edition palette as follow
.
Each voice has been attributed its own color (yellow, green, pink and purple), which
the edition cursor also takes its color from.
Notes from other voices are greyed-out, and not editable, unless the multivoice
mode is activated.
Example : Edition on voice 1
Example : Edition on voice 2
Example : Multivoice edition
You have the possibility to enable or disable the “Colorize fret numbers in
tablature for voices 2, 3 and 4” option from the:
• File > Stylesheet > Notation menu (Windows).
• Guitar Pro 7 > Stylesheet > Notation menu (macOS).
62 | Chapter 4: Writing a score
To improve your editing speed, we recommend using keyboard shortcuts. Here are
the voice-related keyboard shortcuts.
Shortcut
Move cursor to a voice
Move note to a voice
Multivoice edition
Windows
Ctrl +voice number
Alt +voice number
Ctrl+M
macOS
⌘ voice number
⌥ voice number
⌘M
Score structure | 63
Notes
You can write your notes either by way of tablature or of standard notation. The
slash notation is merely a representation of rhythm, and is therefore not designed
for writing as such – but if you add a chord on the staff a slash will appear and
you can then modify the rhythm.) Every note added into one kind of notation is
instantaneously duplicated into the other.
The edition cursor is symbolized by a yellow, green, blue, or red square, depending
on the voice it is on.
Whenever it is on a note, the corresponding note in the other notation appears in a
grey square.
The Tab key ( ⇥ on macOS) allows you to switch back and forth from tablature to
standard notation. If you are using a piano Grand Staff, the same key switches from
left-hand staff to right-hand staff.
Clicking on the score doesn’t add any note, but it places your cursor where you want
it to be. This is to prevent accidental modifications of the score when you just want
to navigate over it.
Ways to capture notes into the score
In Guitar Pro, you can write notes by multiple ways. You may choose the one you’re
most comfortable with. The faster way would be using the keyboard.
Capturing notes on the keyboard
Most of the capturing is done on the numerical pad:
• Move on the staff using the arrows ↑→↓←
• Use the numbers 0 to 9 to enter the notes.
◦ On the standard notation, we use the numbers 1 to 9 to choose
the string on which the note will be placed. The 0 places the note
in the most optimized way.
◦ On the tablature, these numbers are used to indicate the fret of the
note. A delay is allowed to enter 2-digit numbers.
• Use + and - keys to change the duration of the note (these keys are
customizable in the Preferences).
• Use the shortcut Ins on Windows or ⌘+ on macOS to insert a beat.
• Use the shortcut Del on Windows or ⌦ on macOS to delete notes.
• Insert a rest with the R key.
64 | Chapter 4: Writing a score
“
You may need to learn keyboard shortcuts to speed up your writing.
Capturing notes with the mouse
If you prefer using the mouse, you can use the following tools:
• The Instrument Views.
• The note duration keys from the Palette let you change notes lengths.
• The Note > Insert a beat and Note > Delete a beat menus let you insert
or delete notes.
Capturing notes with a MIDI instrument
The Sound > MIDI Capture menu allows you to use a MIDI instrument
(keyboard, guitar, and any correctly configured MIDI controller…) to capture the
score note by note.
Go to the Sound > Audio/MIDI settings to set up your MIDI option (see Midi).
Score structure | 65
Tuning
Each track has a tuning (if the instrument is pitched). This tuning tells the pitch
for each string. In Guitar Pro, even non-stringed instrument have a tuning, because
you may want to show the tablature for this kind of instruments too.
The tuning, if non-standard (i.e. the classic E A D G B E), is displayed at the top of
the score by default. This is adjustable in the Stylesheet of your file.
To modify the current track’s tuning, either click on the tuning in the score, or click
on the tuning in the track inspector. You can also listen to the tuning of the track
with the play button.
The tuning window will then open, looking like this.
Tuning window
Choose your tuning among a wide tuning library, covering multiple stringed
instruments: guitar, bass, banjo, shamisen, cello, contrabass, mandolin, ukulele,
viola, violin. Instruments can have from 3 to 10 strings.
You may also create your own tuning by adjusting the strings individually, and
choosing the preferred alteration.
If by modifying the strings the tuning is recognized among the library, it will be
automatically selected.
66 | Chapter 4: Writing a score
User library
It is possible to save the current tuning into the user library. Click on the option
button, and choose Save as Tuning Preset… in the menu.
Once a tuning exists in the user library, you may want to edit or delete it with the
corresponding options in the same menu. Note that capo, partial capo and display
labels won’t be saved as part of the tuning preset.
Tuning save window
Capo
Adjust the capo and the partial capo for the track. Both capos may be used
simultaneously. Notice that setting the partial capo before the capo, i.e on a lower
fret than the capo, make the partial capo useless.
“
The fret numbers for the capo and partial capo are absolute. The partial capo fret is
not relative to the capo fret. The fretboard picture might help you.
Display label
While the tuning you’ve selected is a tuning from the library or not, you may want
it to appear with an other name on the score. This text field allows you to choose a
display-only name for the tuning. It won’t change the tuning name in the library.
Validating the tuning change
Once you’ve selected a new tuning and/or a new capo, you have two ways to validate
this new settings:
• Keep the fingering: no transposition will be done, fingering in the
tablature will remain as it is.
• Adjust the fingering: fingering in the tablature will be adapted to keep
the same pitches, but in the new tuning and with the new capo.
Score structure | 67
Score edition
Discover and learn the different tools and options that will help you edit your scores
efficiently.
Copy, paste and cut
Access the cut, copy and paste options from the Edit menu or directly by rightclicking the score ( ^ Click on macOS).
Contextual menu in the score
Cut / Copy on a Single Track
The single track copy copies all the selected content. It is the basic and classic mode
one’s should expect of a copy. The single track cut works along the same way.
Since you are here cutting or copying from a single track (i.e., not in multiple
selection), the function will not take the bars structure (time and key signatures,
etc.) into account.
The function is multi-voice, however, and can work over several different tracks,
even if the instruments are not compatible (e.g., guitar and piano). In the case
of percussion tracks to a melodic instrument or vice versa, only the rhythm
represented by rests will be preserved.
If you wish to copy a great number of bars, it may be useful to use a multiple
selection in the Global View in order to get a better overview of the copied bars.
Moreover, the Global View lets you extend the selection by moving the handles at
the edges of the selection.
68 | Chapter 4: Writing a score
Action
Copy
Cut
Windows shortcut
Mac shortcut
Ctrl+C
⌘C
Ctrl+X
⌘X
Cut / Copy in multitrack Mode
Multitrack cut/copy takes the bars structure into account (time and key signatures,
etc.), and will copy whole sections by extending the multiple selection to the bars
included in them. Cutting implies taking the selected bars out of all of the tracks at
once.
Action
Multitrack Copy
Multitrack Cut
Windows shortcut
Mac shortcut
Ctrl+Shift+C
⌘⇧C
Ctrl+Shift+X
⌘⇧X
Simple paste
Simple paste pastes the content of the clipboard onto the current selection, or by
default before the selection.
In case the selection contains only one bar, other bars get added before the bar
where the paste action was done; or the current bar gets completed with the content
of the Clipboard. If you place your cursor on an empty bar, the paste function will
first fill in the empty bars and then create other bars as needed.
Action
Paste
Windows shortcut
Ctrl+V
Mac shortcut
⌘V
Special paste
This allows you to choose what you are going to paste and how many times so.
Action
Special Paste
Windows shortcut
Ctrl+Shift+V
Mac shortcut
⌘⇧V
Score edition | 69
Special paste window
Click on the score elements
Guitar Pro allows you to edit some elements of the score by clicking on them.
Clickable element
Simply move the mouse over a given element, and this element will be highlighted
in blue, confirming it can be clicked. After clicking, a dialog opens, and allows to
edit this element.
The other ways to open this same dialog are the menus or the palette. Clicking on
the score has exactly the same result, thus is an alternative way.
Here is the full list of elements editable on the score:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Score information (title, artist, album, etc.)
Tempo
Track tuning
Track capo
Sections
Swing feel
Chords
Free texts
Bar clef
Bar key signature
Bar time signature
70 | Chapter 4: Writing a score
•
•
•
•
“
Fermatas
Directions (jump and target)
Alternates endings
Repeat close
Tempo can be edited on both the score header and the score (automations).
Chord diagrams can be edited on both the score header (if the option is enabled)
and on the score. In the first case, editing a diagram affects all occurrences of the
chord on the score.
Automations
It is possible to apply a change of tempo, volume or pan anywhere you want in your
track. These changes are also called automations.
The automations editor can be accessed from the Edit > Automations > Edit
Automations menu, but also from the F10 keyboard shortcut or even from the
automations icons located in the edition palette. You have the possibility to either
hide or display these changes in your track.
Automation-related symbols in the palette
It is also possible to edit a tempo automation by clicking directly on the automation
in the score.
“
For sound modifications during playback, see the Audio chapter.
Automation types
The automation editor allows you to edit 3 types of automations:
• Tempo
• Volume
• Panomaric (pan)
Score edition | 71
Tempo
Automation editor window: tempo
You can make the tempo modify (increase, decrease) automatically during the
playback. Each point may have a label, indicating the tempo on the score.
Tempo automations are applied to all tracks.
Volume
Automation editor window: volume
The volume automations can be set individually, or on the master track to affect all
tracks simultaneously.
72 | Chapter 4: Writing a score
When enabled, a volume automation on a track is symbolized by the letter
the Global View beside the slider
.
“
You can enable or disable the volume automation by selecting the
global view.
A
A
in
symbol in the
Pan
Automation editor window: pan
Pan corresponds to the placement of the sound in the stereo scope: more or less left
or right.
The pan automations can be set individually, or on the master track to affect all
tracks simultaneously.
When enabled, a pan automation on a track is shown in the Global View beside the
.
knob
How to use
When the window opens, a point is automatically added at the position if there is
not any already.
Click in the graph to place key points indicating the changes. Points are
automatically snapped to beats and bars. They can be moved left/right (time frame)
or up/down (value) with the mouse or the keyboard.
Score edition | 73
Transition between points can be either sudden or progressive. Set this transition
in the left panel:
• Constant until next point: the value is constant until the next one, and
changes suddenly.
• Progressive to the next point: the value increase/decrease progressively
until the next value.
Assistants
Guitar Pro includes many wizards to help you work faster when creating your
scores. These wizards are available from the Tools menu.
Note-Related Wizards
Using the wizards can save you lots of time. For example, in one step you can let
Guitar Pro know that you want the Let Ring function turned on for all of the notes
on the four highest strings.
Let Ring Options
Sets the Let Ring attribute for each string over a selected range of bars or notes.
Let ring window
Palm Mute Options
Sets the Palm Mute attribute for each string over a selected range of bars or notes.
74 | Chapter 4: Writing a score
Palm mute window
Wizards for Organizing the Score
You can use these Wizards when you compose, after you have imported a track, or
while you are capturing notes in standard, to get the best possible arrangement of
the tablature.
Bar Arranger
Checks and arranges bars according to the durations of the notes.
Complete/Reduce Bars with Rests
Adds rests in bars that are empty or too short, and deletes the extra rests in bars
that are too long.
Automatic Finger Positioning
Places the notes on tablature without changing the tune, so as to simplify the chord
positions and movements of the hand.
Move/Swap Voices
Reorganises the voices over a multi-voice track.
Other Wizards
Transpose
Transposes the active track or all the tracks a given number of semitones up or
down. This function does not transpose chord diagrams.
Check Bar Duration
Checks the whole score to detect bars that do not have the required number of
beats.
Score edition | 75
Drums and percussions
You can use the keyboard shortcuts to enter notes into a drums/percussion track.
Each line can present several articulations (e.g., the charleston can be open, semiopen, or closed), and you can use the 1 , 2 , 3 keys from the numerical pad.
The tablature being also available for drums you have the possibility to edit your
drum track directly from the tablature notation by typing the MIDI number related
to your drums element.
Please refer to the MIDI and tablature correspondance table, right after. In MIDI
mode, the percussion tracks are always attributed to channel 10.
But also and mainly you can use your Instrument view adapted for percussions.
Make it visible from the View > Show Drumkit View menu ( Ctrl + F6 on
Windows or ⌘ + F6 on macOS when the current track is a percussions track).
Virtual drumkit
1. Move cursor left/right
2. Drumkit settings
You may select the element you want to add to your track directly from this window.
At the top is a notation view, and at the bottom is the General MIDI list. The settings
let you choose which view to display or hide.
76 | Chapter 4: Writing a score
“
You can choose which type of sticks are used to hit the drums, and the RSE will
interpret the different types of strokes. Select this option from the Track Inspector
located on the right of your Guitar Pro window.
MIDI and tablature correspondance
MIDI
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
Drumkit element
High Q
Slap
Scratch Push
Scratch Pull
Sticks
Square Click
Metronome Click
Metronome Bell
Bass Drum 2
Bass Drum 1
Side Stick/Rimshot
Snare Drum 1
Hand Clap
Snare Drum 2
Low Tom 2
Closed Hi-hat
Low Tom 1
Pedal Hi-hat
Mid Tom 2
Open Hi-hat
Mid Tom 1
High Tom 2
Crash Cymbal 1
High Tom 1
Ride Cymbal 1
Chinese Cymbal
Ride Bell
Tambourine
Splash Cymbal
Cowbell
Crash Cymbal 2
Vibra Slap
Ride Cymbal 2
High Bongo
Score edition | 77
MIDI
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
Drumkit element
Low Bongo
Mute High Conga
Open High Conga
Low Conga
High Timbale
Low Timbale
High Agogô
Low Agogô
Cabasa
Maracas
Short Whistle
Long Whistle
Short Güiro
Long Güiro
Claves
High Wood Block
Low Wood Block
Mute Cuíca
Open Cuíca
Mute Triangle
Open Triangle
Shaker
Jingle Bell
Bell Tree
Castinets
Mute Surdo
Open Surdo
78 | Chapter 4: Writing a score
Symbols
Guitar Pro allows you to insert all of the musical symbols into the score, and
particularly those specific to the guitar. Most of these symbols are taken into
account whenever the score is being played.
The following explanations are valid for both right-hand and left-handed people.
Left handed players simply have to replace the term right hand by left hand when
necessary.
Bar-related symbols
Bar-related symbols in the palette
Icon Name
Clef
Key Signature
Time Signature
Triplet Feel
Free time bars
Double bar-lines
Simple repeat sign
Double repeat sign
Repeat open
Repeat close
Repetitions
Directions
8va octave clef
8vb octave clef
15ma octave clef
15mb octave clef
Quick description
Change staff clef.
Change staff key signature.
Change staff time signature.
Example: play ternary but write binary.
Play freely in terms of rhythm and tempo.
Important change in the score.
Repeat the bar preceding it.
Repeat the two bars preceding it.
Following bars shall be repeated.
Repeat the bars from repeat open sign.
What to play for each repetition.
Advanced repetition managing.
Play 1 octave above what is written.
Play 1 octave below what is written.
Play 2 octaves above what is written.
Play 2 octaves below what is written.
Clef
The Clef is an indication, in standard notation, as to which notes correspond to
the lines. Guitar Pro handles 4 types of Clef (G-, F-, C3-, and C4-Clef), as well as
4 types of octave clefs (8va, 15va, 8vb, 15vb). Whenever you change clefs, you can
transpose the notes to keep the same pitch.
Symbols | 79
Clef editor
Key Signature
The key signature tells you which notes are meant to be altered by default —
unless an accidental appears next to the note on the score. It thus indicates the tone
in which the piece or passage is written. It is the same for every track, aside from
transposing instruments when you are using the transposing tone mode (e.g., Bb
clarinet) automatically managed by Guitar Pro.
Key signature editor
Time Signature
The time signature indicates the durations of beats in the bars following that
signature: the bottom digit corresponds to the number of divisions of the whole
note, and the top one gives you the number of units in a bar (see Understanding
Notation). Whenever a bar is complete according to the time signature, Guitar Pro
will directly move on to the next bar if you add a note. Incomplete or overlooked
bars will appear in red. If you have checked the Anacrusis option (Bar >
Anacrusis menu), the first and last bars will not appear in red even when they are
not completed.
The concert tone option cancels all the tracks transpositions and reverts back to the
standard tone.
80 | Chapter 4: Writing a score
Time signature editor
Triplet Feel
Among others, the triple feel means you play in a ternary way some bars that
are written in binary mode for the sake of lightness of writing. Guitar Pro offers
several motifs, the most common being the triplet feel 8th which lets you play a 4/
4 signature in blues style for instance.
Triplet feel editor
Free time bars
Free-time bars are bars that are played freely in terms of rhythm and tempo.
The barlines then appear as dotted lines and the time signature is in parentheses.
Symbols | 81
Double bar-lines
A double bar-line indicates a change of parts, of signature, or any other major
change in the score. Guitar Pro inserts them automatically at every change of
signature. You can also add more bar-lines with the button here to the left whenever
you consider a change in the score to be important enough.
Simple repeat sign
This symbols means that the bar is meant to repeat exactly the bar preceding it.
This makes editing and reading lighter, and will not work on the first bar of a score.
Double repeat sign
This symbol means that you are supposed to repeat exactly the two preceding
bars. It will not work if placed on the first two bars of a score.
Repeat open
This symbol replaces an opening bar-line, and means that every bar that follows
it will be played again a certain number of times, depending on the Repeat close
sign (see below).
Repeat close
This symbol replaces a closing bar-line, and sends you back to the last Repeat
open sign. A dialog window will open up for you to indicate the number of repeats
you want.
Example: Bar order is
1-2-1-2-3
.
Repeat close window
82 | Chapter 4: Writing a score
Repetitions
This adds a repetition symbol at the beginning of the active bar. This tells you if
the bar is meant to be played, depending on the number of times it has already been
played. That symbol is used together with the repeat signs.
Example : Bar order is
1-2-1-3
.
Repetitions window
Directions
This function will add the Coda, Double Coda, Segno, Segno Segno and Fine
symbols, as well as 11 other different types of coda jumps.
Directions editor
Octave clef
This little symbol means that you are to play the score an octave
higher than what is actually written. If you click on that button the notes will be
moved down one octave on the score, and a little 8va will be added. The other
symbol 8vb means the opposite; and the two other buttons, 15va and 15vb extend it
to two octaves.
Symbols | 83
Note-related symbols
Note related symbols in the palette
Icon Name
Whole note
Half note
Quarter note
8th note
16th note
32th note
64th note
Rest
Dot
Double-dot
Duolet
Triolet
Custom n-tuplet
Tie
Multiple tie
Fermata
Double flat
Flat
Natural
Sharp
Double sharp
Change accidental
Quick description
Plays a whole note.
Plays a half note.
Plays a quarter note.
Plays a 8th note.
Plays a 16th note.
Plays a 32th note.
Plays a 64th note.
Add a rest.
Add a dot to the note.
Add a double-dot to the note.
Set the note rhythm to be binary.
Set the note rhythm to be ternary.
Set the note rhythm to be a specific tuplet.
Tie the note.
Tie multiple notes.
Add a fermata (multitrack).
Set the note accident to be a double flat.
Set the note accident to be a flat.
Set the note accident to be a natural.
Set the note accident to be a sharp.
Set the note accident to be a double double flat.
Change the alteration while keeping the same note
value.
Shift one semitone
Lower the note by a half-tone.
down
Shift one semitone up Raise the note by a half-tone.
Pianississimo
Plays very very softly the note.
Pianissimo
Plays very softly the note.
Piano
Plays softly the note.
Mezzo piano
Plays moderately softly the note.
Mezzo forte
Plays moderately loudly the note.
Forte
Plays loudly the note.
Fortissimo
Plays very loudly the note.
84 | Chapter 4: Writing a score
Icon Name
Fortississimo
Crescendo
Decrescendo
Quick description
Plays very very loudly the note.
Plays louder and louder.
Plays softer and softer.
Note duration
A note duration can go from the whole note to the to the
sixty-fourth note. This affects the beat on which the note is placed. If you wish to
place on a same beat some notes that have different duration value, you can use the
multi-voice editing mode.
Dotted and double-dotted notes
You can also add dotted notes, double-dotted notes. The dot add to a note
its half length. For instance, a dotted quarter does not lasts 1 beat but 1,5 beats. The
double-point, for it’s part, add to the note its 3/4 length.
Rest
A rest is an interval of silence, marked by a symbol indicating the length of the
pause. Each rest symbol and name corresponds with a particular note value for
length, indicating how long the silence should last.
Rest symbol
Name (US)
Whole rest
Name (GB)
Semibreve
Half rest
Minim
Quarter rest
Crotchet
Eighth rest
Quaver
Sixteenth rest
Semiquaver
Thirty-second rest
Demisemiquaver
Sixty-four rest
Hemidemisemiquaver
Equivalent
N-tuplets and polyrhythms
You can also add simple or poly-rhythmical n-tuplets. The triolet is an
example of this exceptional beat division: a beat, commonly divided in 2 eighth
notes, is therefore divided in 3 eight notes (3 count for 2).
Symbols | 85
Custom tuplet window
Ties
A tie links the note to the note preceding it. It lengthens the duration of that
preceding note, therefore, by the duration of the tied note.
Multiple ties
You can also tie an entire beat to the beat preceding it.
Fermata
The fermata is also known as a hold, or a pause; and what it means is that you
are to pause on that particular beat, at the discretion of the conductor. It is therefore
a multi-track symbol. A window opens up to let you choose the symbol and the
duration of the pause by adjusting the tempo.
Fermata window
Accidentals
Those buttons let you add any of the 5 different types of
accidentals (sharp, double sharp, flat, double flat, and natural) to a given note.
Changing the accidental
This is to change the accidental without modifying the note’s pitch. Also called
enharmonic.
Raising or lowering by a half-tone
86 | Chapter 4: Writing a score
You can raise with this button a note or an entire multiple selection by a half-tone.
The next button allows to similarly lower a selection by a half-tone. This is a useful
tool to transpose an entire track, when used with Edit > Select all.
Nuances
The nuance (or note dynamic) defines the intensity
with which a note is to be played. The buttons allow you to choose a dynamic for
each note, from very faint to very strong. In order to get different dynamics on a
same beat, please use different voices.
Crescendo/Decrescendo
This attributes to a beat or group of beats (via multiple selection) a
progressive rise or fall of the volume. You must indicate a final nuance to ensure the
effect is actually considered.
Effects-related symbols
Effects-related symbols in the palette
Icon Name
Mute
Accented note
Heavily accented
note
Staccato
Legato
Let ring
Palm mute
Ghost note
Natural harmonic
Artificial harmonic
Bend
Fade-in
Fade-out
Quick Description
Plays a faint note.
Plays an loud note.
Plays a very loud note.
Plays a staccato note, i.e. very brieve note.
Plays in a fluid way, without attacking the string.
Let ring the note beyond its theoretical time value.
Muffle the note sound with the palm against the
string.
Muffle the note sound by releasing the left finger.
Plays a note by merely touching upon the fret.
Plays an artificial harmonic (various types).
Bends the string to change the note pitch)
Raises the volume knob to not hear the pick attack
on the string.
Progressively lowers the volume knob after
attacking the string.
Symbols | 87
Icon Name
Volume swell
Grace note before
the beat
Grace note on the
beat
Hammer On/Pull Off
Upper mordent
Lower mordent
Turn
Inverted turn
Left-hand tapping
Legato slide
Shift slide
Slide in from below
Slide in from above
Slide out of
downwards
Slide out of upwards
Tremolo bar
Trill
Slight left-hand
vivrato
Wide left-hand
vibrato
Slight Tremolo bar
vibrato
Wide Tremolo bar
vibrato
Closed wah-wah
Opened wah-wah
Arpeggio down
Arpeggio up
Brush down
Quick Description
Combines a fade-in then a fade-out.
Plays a very short note before an other one.
Plays a very short note before an other one.
Transition between 2 notes: attacks the first but
not the second.
Plays a fast beat between the note and its higher
relative note.
Plays a fast beat between the note and its lower
relative note.
Plays a fast beat between the note and 4 notes
around.
Same technique but begins with the lower note.
Hits a fret with a left finger, without attacking the
string.
Attacks a note, then slides to an other, without
stroke.
Attacks a note, then slides to an other, then attacks
again.
Attacks a note by sliding from a fret below.
Attacks a note by sliding from a fret above.
Attacks a note then slides to a fret below.
Attacks a note then slides to a fret above.
Modifies the note pitch with the tremolo bar.
Plays a trill: quickly alternates 2 notes with HoPo.
Plays a vibrato with left-hand (very small pitch
variation).
Plays a vibrato with left-hand (small pitch
variation).
Plays a vibrato with the tremolo bar (very small
pitch variation).
Plays a vibrato with the tremolo bar (small pitch
variation).
Closes the wah-wah pedal.
Opens the wah-wah pedal.
Plays an arpeggio from the lowest string to the
highest one.
Plays an arpeggio from the highest string to the
lowest one.
Brushes strings from the lowest one to the highest
one.
88 | Chapter 4: Writing a score
Icon Name
Quick Description
Brushes strings from the highest one to the lowest
Brush up
one.
Rasgueado
Right-hand flamenco technique.
Left-hand fingering Indicates which left-hand finger to use.
Right-hand fingering Indicates which right-hand finger to use.
Indicates on the staff (not the tablature) which
String number
string to attack.
Plays the note by attacking the string down with a
Pickstroke down
pick.
Plays the note by attacking the string up with a
Pickstroke up
pick.
Tapping
Plays the note with the tapping technique.
Plays the note with the slapping technique (bassSlap
related).
Plays the note with the popping technique (bassPop
related).
Golpe finger
Hits the guitar body with a finger.
Golpe thumb
Hits the guitar body with the thumb.
Goes up the guitar neck by scratching the pick on
Pickscrap up
the strings.
Goes down the guitar neck by scratching the pick
Pickscrap down
on the strings.
Plays a percussive hit on the strings (bass
Dead slap
technique).
Ghost note
A ghost note is a faint note. The dynamic of a ghost note is automatically
decreased. The note is displayed between round brackets on the tablature.
Accented note and Heavily accented notes
Contrary to a ghost note, an accented note is played loudly. The dynamic of
an accented note is automatically increased.
A heavily accented note follows the same principle as an accented note, except in a
more pronounced manner.
Staccato
A staccato indicates a very short note, independently of the note’s duration on
the score. The note is displayed with a dot below.
Symbols | 89
Legato
The legato applies to several notes (one speaks of legato phrasing). It means that
as many notes as possible are to be tied, so the way they are played is as fluid as
possible. A slur is drawn to indicate the notes are played without separation (legato
articulation).
Let ring
The Let Ring option means that you let a note ring beyond its theoretical time
value as indicated on the score. This is used a lot for arpeggios, for example.
The Tools > Let ring options menu allows to attribute a Let Ring to each string
over a group of bars.
“
The Automatic Let-ring options is also available, in the track inspector. It is then
applied to the whole track.
Palm Mute
The palm mute effects consists in muffling the sound by lightly touching the
strings near the bridge with the palm of your right hand (if you’re right-handed
person). The palm mute effect is represented by the ‘PM’ symbol above the
tablature.
The intensity of the palm mute effect can be adjusted by way of the Palm mute slider
in the track inspector.
Dead note
A dead note is short and fainter than a normal note. These notes are used with
the guitar to give a particular rhythmic effect.
To make notes be dead notes, you have to put the right hand palm (for a righthanded person) on the strings near the bridge, or else just put the left hand fingers
(for a right-handed person) on the string without pressing it.
Natural harmonic
The natural harmonic consists of playing the string open while you lightly touch
it with the left hand (for a right-handed person) above a fret. The left hand finger
has to be taken off at the same time that the right hand plays it. 5th, 7th and 12th
frets harmonics are very commonly used, while the others are quite difficult to
obtain.
90 | Chapter 4: Writing a score
Artificial harmonic
Several types of harmonics are available:
• A.H. - Artificial Harmonic: For the artificial harmonic, the left hand
finger presses the string like a normal note. It is the forefinger of the right
hand that lightly touches the string several frets higher. The right hand has
to play the note too, so it may be difficult.
• T.H. - Tapped Harmonic: The tapped harmonic is an artificial harmonic
obtained by tapping quickly on the string several frets higher.
• P.H. - Pinch Harmonic: The pinch harmonic is produced with a pick,
and consists in playing the string by letting the thumb that holds the pick
lightly touch the string. This harmonic is best obtained with a distortion
effect.
• S.H. - Semi Harmonic: The semi harmonic is similar the pinch
harmonic, except you keep the natural resonance of the string in addition to
the harmonic.
You can obtain those in Guitar Pro in two different ways (see Stylesheet).
Bend
The bend effect consists of pushing the fretted string sideways with the left hand
(for a right-handed person) to bend it, so the pitch of the note changes.
Bend window
The Bend window allows you to precisely set the type of the bend you want by
adjusting its points. For sophisticated bends, you need to use ties in order to keep
the score consistent in terms of audio playback.
Symbols | 91
On the left side, the Bend, Bend/Release, … buttons allow you to define the base
type of the bend. This choice is also reflected by a different symbol on the tablature.
You can set the maximum level of the effect from a value of 1/4 to 3. The term ‘Full’
is equal to a whole tone. This also affects how it is displayed on tablature.
You can modify the curve by dragging its points with your cursor. Whenever two
notes are tied, the bends extends to the entire duration. It is still possible to edit a
bend on a tied note and place a hold on it, for instance, whose motif isn’t there by
default.
The Stylesheet allows you to display the bend in standard notation too.
Here’s an example of what you can do:
Bend examples
Fade in (violin effect)
This consists in using the volume knob on an electric guitar to raise the sound
and not hear the attack of the pick on the note. It can also create the impression of
a ‘reversed track’, particularly liked by guitarists.
Fade out
This consists in turning the sound progressively off with the guitar’s volume
knob.
Volume swell
This is a fade in leading directly into a fade out.
Grace-note before the beat
A Grace note is an ornamentation that consists in a very short note played
before an other one. In Guitar Pro, you can add a grace note for each string.
However, it is not possible to set several grace notes on the same string. A grace
note does not count for the bar duration and for the rhythm display.
92 | Chapter 4: Writing a score
Grace-note on the beat
Same as a grace-note before the beat, except here it starts right on the beat —
thus slightly delaying the following beat.
Hammer-On/Pull-Off
The hammer-on (HO) / pull-off (PO) is a transition between two notes played
on the same string. The first note is played normally while the second one is not
played by the right hand (for a right- handed person).
For a hammer-on, the second note is higher than the first one, and it is played by
tapping the tip of your finger on the string, while keeping the finger corresponding
to the first note on the fretboard.
In the case of a pull-off, the second note is lower than the first and is played by
taking the finger off the first note.
Guitar Pro determines automatically which effect is being used, based on the notes’
values. You can use the Stylesheet to customize the way the H/P will appear or not
on the score.
It is common enough for a series of hammer-ons and pull-offs to be linked together
over two notes to play them legato. A slur is drawn to indicate the notes are played
without separation (legato articulation).
Legato phrasing example with HoPo
Upper Mordent
An upper mordent is a melodic ornament in the form of a fast beat between the
main (written) note and the higher note (relative to the key signature).
Lower Mordent
A lower mordent is a melodic ornament in the form of a fast beat between the
main (written) note and the lower note (relative to the key signature).
Symbols | 93
Turn
The turn (in Italian ‘gruppetto,’ ‘little group’) is a melodic ornament in the form
of a melodic line of four notes turning around the main note and revealing the two
notes next to it — higher and lower. The turn starts with note that is immediately
lower, then the main note, the higher note, and ends on the main note. Just as
the mordent, the turn is relative to the tune’s general harmony, as set by the key
signature.
Inverted turn
The inverted turn starts with note that is immediately lower, then the main
note, the higher note, and ends on the main note. Just as the mordent, the turn is
relative to the tune’s general harmony, as set by the key signature.
Left-Hand Tapping
This consists in hitting a fret with your left-hand finger with no previous attack
on the note.
Slides
Sliding means playing a note by sliding your left-hand finger (if you’re righthanded) over the frets. Guitar Pro supports various kinds of slides:
Symbol Name
Rendering Meaning
Legato
slide
The first note is played, and then the finger
slides to the second one, which is not played. A
slur is drawn to indicate the notes are played
without separation (legato articulation).
Shift slide
The first note is played, and then the finger
slides to the second one, which is played.
Slide in
from below
The note is played while coming from a lower
(and undefined) fret.
Slide in
from above
The note is played while coming from a upper
(and undefined) fret.
94 | Chapter 4: Writing a score
Symbol Name
Rendering Meaning
Slide in out
of
downwards
The note is played, and then the finger slides to
a lower (and undefined) fret.
Slide out of
upwards
The note is played, and then the finger slides to
a upper (and undefined) fret.
Tremolo Bar
The tremolo bar is used on electric guitars to modify the pitch of all the notes (by
rotating the bridge). The tremolo bar is operated with the right hand (for a righthanded person).
The way the Tremolo Bar window works is pretty much the same as the Bend
window.
Tremolo bar window
Trill
The trill effect consists of alternating quickly between two notes on the same
string by a succession of hammer ons and pull offs. The Trill window allows you to
choose the fret of the second note (the first one being indicated on the score), as
well as the speed of the trill.
This notation lightens the score, because alternated notes are not displayed.
Symbols | 95
Trill window
Left-Hand Vibrato
Left-Hand Vibrato consists in quickly moving the left-hand finger (for a
right-handed person) on the string. The movement creates a variation in pitch.
The vibrato effect is represented by a little wave above the tablature, and lasts until
the note ends. Guitar Pro features 2 vibrato amplitudes (slight and wide)
Wide Vibrato (Tremolo Bar)
The wide vibrato is stronger than the simple vibrato, and is obtained by
using the vibrato bar. This effect is applied to the whole chord.
The wide vibrato is displayed as a big wave above the tablature and ends as soon as
a new note is played. Guitar Pro features 2 vibrato amplitudes (slight and wide)
Wah-wah
The Wah-Wah is an effects pedal. Possible options are On/Off and Opened/
Closed. The Wah-Wah will affect playback only if you’re using the RSE and you have
placed a Wah-Wah pedal in your effect chain. (See Sound settings).
Brush
Brushing the strings means strumming the strings in an energetic manner.
This is much used for rhythmic guitar accompaniments.
In the Brush window you can adjust the speed as well as the delay. The duration of
a brush needs to be shorter than the beat itself, so every note has time to ring out
before other notes get played.
Auto-brush may be enabled/disabled in the track inspector. A brush is then applied
to all track’s chords.
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Brush down window
Arpeggio
The arpeggio consists in playing every note in a chord one by one. The
Arpeggio window lets you adjust the speed as well as the delay in playing. An
Arpeggio Down goes from the lowest to the highest-pitched string. An Arpeggio Up
goes from the highest to the lowest-pitched string.
Arpeggio down window
Rasgueado
This is a much-used right-hand technique (if you’re right-handed) in flamenco
guitar. Guitar Pro offers 18 rasgueado motifs that are all interpreted by the audio
engine. The score will indicate Rasgueado on the chords, as well as the chosen
motif.
Symbols | 97
Rasgueado window
Left-Hand Fingering
Left-hand fingering (for a right-handed person) indicates which fingers press on
the strings on the fretboard. The letter ‘T’ is for the thumb, ‘0’ for the forefinger, ‘1’
for the middle finger, and so on. This can be changed in the Stylesheet.
It is displayed before the note in standard notation, or under the tablature if there
is no standard notation.
Left-hand fingering window
“
Right-hand fingering is adapted for a right-handed guitarist. For a left-handed
guitarist, this corresponds to the left-hand.
Right-Hand Fingering
Right-hand fingering (for a right-handed person) indicates which fingers pluck
the strings. The letter ‘P’ is for the thumb, ‘i’ for the forefinger, ‘m’ for the middle
finger, and so on. This can be changed in the Stylesheet.
It is displayed before the note in standard notation, or under the tablature if there
is no standard notation.
98 | Chapter 4: Writing a score
Right-hand fingering window
“
Left-hand fingering is adpated for a right-handed guitarist. For a left-handed
guitarist, this corresponds to the right-hand.
Display string number
For any given note, you can have displayed on the staff.
Pickstroke
The pickstroke function lets you to set the direction for your pickstroke. A ‘v’
means that the movement is upward, from the highest to the lowest-pitched string.
Tapping
The tapping effect consists in playing a note by tapping the corresponding fret
with a finger of the right hand or of the left hand (often both). The string is not
played as it usually is.
The ‘T’ symbol is displayed above the tablature to indicate a tapping effect. In Guitar
Pro, a tapping effect is set for the whole chord. This effect is interpreted by the
Guitar Pro Audio engine.
Slap (bass)
The slapping effect consists in slapping the string with your right-hand thumb
(for a right-handed person) while rotating your wrist to obtain a percussive sound.
The slapping effect is often followed by a popping effect (see below). Slap-bass
samples are part of the bass sound-banks for more realistic effect.
Pop (bass)
The popping effect consists in popping one of the two highest strings with
amplitude with the right hand forefinger (for a right-handed person). The popping
effect is often preceded by a slapping effect (see above).
Symbols | 99
Golpe finger/thumb
Golpe is a percussion technique involving fingers (thumb or other fingers)
and applied to the guitar body.
Pickscrap out upwards/downwards
This techniques consist by going up or down your guitar neck scratching
your strings with your guitar pick.
“
The pickscrape and dead slap are not interpreted by Guitar Pro’s audio engine. It is
only there for notation sake.
Dead slapped
Dead slapped is a bass guitar technique which consist in giving percussive hits
on the guitar strings using your left hand (for right handed players).
100 | Chapter 4: Writing a score
Automation-related symbols
Automation-related symbols in the palette
To understand how automations work, please see the Automations chapter.
Symbol Name
Tempo automation
Master track volume
automation
Master track pan
automation
Description
Insert a tempo automation.
Insert a volume automation on your
master track.
Insert a pan automation on your master
track.
Insert a volume automation on a single
Track volume automation
track.
Insert a pan automation on a single
Track pan automation
track.
Volume automation dialog
Symbols | 101
Notation-related and design-related symbols
Notation-related symbols in the palette
Icon Name
Chord
Slash
Barre
Timer
Section
Prevent breakline
Force breakline
Automatic stems
orientation
Invert stems orientation
Automatic beaming
Force beaming
Break beaming
Break secondary
beaming
Force beaming group
Quick description
Adds a chord.
Converts notes to Slashnotation.
Indicates that a barre must be done, and
which type.
Indicates time position in the score.
Adds a section.
Prevents line break for bars.
Forces line breaks for bars.
Automatic stem orientation for selected notes.
Inverts the stem orientation for selected notes.
Automatic beaming between notes.
Forces beaming between notes.
Breaks the beaming between notes.
Breaks the secondary beaming between notes.
Force same tuplets beaming groups.
Chords
This button adds opens the chord window, to add a chord (see Chord diagrams).
Slashes
This is to integrate slash notation into the tablature: it convert the selected notes
into slashes while keeping all information about the notes. Very useful to capture
rhythmic motifs with transition notes. You can also ask for an entire slash track (see
Track Properties)
Barre
Indicates above the staff is a barre of half-barre has to be played on a specific
fret during a part of the score. This is commonly used in classical guitar, where you
won’t find tablatures.
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Barre window
Timer
At any given point, this tells you the number of minutes and seconds min:sec
that have elapsed since the beginning of the score. Guitar Pro automatically
computes this value. For repetitions, the displayed time is the value the first time
this part is played.
Section
Adds a section where the cursor is, or edit the section at the cursor, if any (see
Sections).
Section window
Prevent/Force Line Break
This is to prevent the next bar from shifting to the next line, or forcing it to
do so.
Stems directions
Stems directions may be modified with dedicated buttons in the edition
palette.
Beams grouping
Beams grouping may be modified with dedicated buttons in the
edition palette.
Symbols | 103
Extras
This section develops how to write lyrics in your score and will also give you a good
overview of the stylesheet menu.
Lyrics
Access the lyrics window from the Track > Show lyrics editor menu or directly
from the lyrics icon located in the Edition Palette.
Lyrics editor window
Choosing a track
For the lyrics to appear on the score, you first need to select a track. The text will
automatically get distributed over that track, following a specific syntax (see below).
As a general rule, lyrics will be attributed to a vocal track, i.e. the track with the
song’s melodic line. You can Nonetheless choose to place them on an instrumental
track; but you will then have to check the syntax, as it is unlikely that the melody’s
rhythmical beats correspond to the syllables in the lyrics.
Note also that you can choose to not attribute the lyrics to any track, and write them
on the Lyrics panel only for information. In that case, you just need to uncheck the
“Display on Track” option below the white box.
Lines and first bar
You can type up to 5 lines of text. The lines will be displayed one under the other
on the selected track.
For each line, you can determine a first bar after which the lyrics will be
distributed. This is to avoid having to type spaces in before the lyrics.
Writing lyrics
The capture area is where you can type in the lyrics properly speaking.
104 | Chapter 4: Writing a score
Guitar Pro automatically distributes each syllable over a different beat. The
change of syllable occurs when a space or a hyphen - appears. You may thus
use the hyphens to separate syllables in a word. If you do not wish Guitar Pro to
separate two words. However, you can replace the space in between them with plus
+ symbol.
If you wish to leave a blank on a given beat, just add several hyphens or consecutive
spaces.
The line breaks are considered as spaces. On the other hand, several line breaks
constitute only one space. You can thus make your text more open without
problems.
Parts of a text set in between brackets […] will not appear on the score. You can
thus utilize the brackets to add comments or indicate the headings of various parts
(e.g. [INTRO] , [COUPLET] , [REFRAIN] , …).
You may uncheck Visible if you don’t want the lyrics to be shown on your score.
Note that the lyrics can only be displayed on the first staff, it is not possible to
display some lyrics on other staves.
Extras | 105
Stylesheet
The Stylesheet allows you to customize the general outlook of your scores and give
it a professional finish.
Access from the File > Stylesheet menu or the
F7
shortcut.
The Stylesheet includes many settings and options. It is divided in 5 tabs that will
be detailed deeper in the next pages.
• Page & Score Format: customize the page settings, the global spacing of
notes, your tuning and chord diagrams preferences.
• Systems & Staves: customize the system layout and the symbols related
to it (tuning, clefs, etc…).
• Header & Footer: change the font family and the font size, the placement
of texts in relation to the properties of your score: author, title, etc. (see
Creating a new score).
• Texts & Styles: change the font family and the sizes of the main texts in
your score.
• Notation: customize the musical symbols and adjust the final rendering:
visible or invisible H/P symbols, indications of fingering, hide/display
dynamics…
106 | Chapter 4: Writing a score
Page & Score Format
Discover the Page & Score Format tab.
Page & Score Format tab
Extras | 107
The Page & Score Format tab is divided between the following sections.
Page:
From this section you can set up the format of your page or select one of the twelve
predefined formats. Choose the orientation of your file (portrait/landscape) and set
up the margins.
Page section
Sizes:
Set up the global proportions of your score. Increase or decrease the rythm
proportion. Note that you can decide if these changes will affect the fonts and
chords sizes or not.
Sizes section
Tuning:
Choose to display or hide the tuning of your tracks. Set up its position, either at the
top of your score or before your track.
Select its mode:
• Name only
• Name + notes
• Unusualy tuned strings (if applicable).
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Tuning section
If you choose to display your tuning at the top of your score, you will have access
to extra settings. You can divide the tuning in 2 columns or display it horizontally.
Note that you can aslo frame your tuning. Below are a few examples of the different
renderings.
Option
Rendering
Tuning before track
Top of score: name only
Top of score: name + notes (2
columns)
Top of score: name + notes
(horizontally)
Unusually tuned strings
A framed tuning
Extras | 109
Chord diagrams:
Chord diagram section
Select your favorite notation for your chord diagrams:
• Classic
• Jazz
• Rock
You can either display or hide your chord diagrams. Display them at the top of
your score, in your score (or both at the same time). This section also allows you to
change the size of your chords.
In the following example the chords are displayed both at the top of the score and
in the score with a Jazz style.
Chord diagrams example
110 | Chapter 4: Writing a score
Systems & Staves
Discover the System & Staves tab.
Systems & Staves tab
Extras | 111
The Systems & Staves tab is divided between the following sections.
Staves
Staves section
From this section you will have access to staves related preferences. Selecting or
adjusting these options will have the following impact in your score:
Adjust the first system indentation:
First system indentation example
112 | Chapter 4: Writing a score
Display stave lines when using slashes notation:
Stave lines in slash notation
Display barlines when using slashes notation:
Barlines in slash notation
Display extended barlines in system:
Extended barlines example
Extras | 113
Display clef at the beginning of each system:
Clef at the beginning of each system example
Capo and shifted tunings impact standard notation:
See chapter: Score > Instruments transposition.
114 | Chapter 4: Writing a score
Brackets
Brackets section
Access 3 different modes for brackets:
• Do not draw brackets
• Group tablature and standard notation
• Group similar instruments.
Example of brackets in Guitar Pro
Note that you can use the
picture.
//
symbol to separate systems as shown in the above
Extras | 115
Track name:
Track name section
From this section you have the possibility to either hide or display your track name:
• On the first system
• On the first system of each page
• On all systems.
Both in single track or multitrack mode.
You can display either the full or the abbreviated name of your track, and choose
its orientation (vertical or horizontal). In the example below the full track name is
displayed on each system vertically. Note that you can edit the track name and the
abbreviated name from the Track Inspector (see Main screen).
Track name example
116 | Chapter 4: Writing a score
Header & Footer
Discover the Header & Footer tab.
The header section
The footer section
Extras | 117
Guitar Pro provides a set of tokens (text beginning and ending with the %
symbol) to setup the score information in the header and footer. Here is the full
tokens list.
Token
%TITLE%
%SUBTITLE%
%ARTIST%
%ALBUM%
%WORDS%
%MUSIC%
%TABBER%
%COPYRIGHT%
%PAGE%
%PAGES%
Description
Score title
Score subtitle
Score artist
Score album
Score lyrics
Score music
Score tabber
Score copyright
Current page number
Pages count
Check or uncheck the entries that you want to use.
Update each box information depending on your preferences and usages.
For example, if you check the Music box as shown in the picture below, the
annotation you have written before the %MUSIC% token, here “Music by”, will be
displayed in your score.
Header example
This information will be completed by the information you have mentioned in the
Music field of the Song information of your score.
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You can access and update the Song information such as the title, artist name, etc…
from the Song inspector located on the right of your Guitar Pro 7 window (see Main
screen).
Song information
Of course you can change the mention “Music by” for any other mention,
“Composed by”, “Arrangement by”, etc…
This applies for any available entry listed in the Header & Footer tab of the
Stylesheet (Copyright, etc…).
Extras | 119
You can apply the font, size, style of your choice for each entry, but also choose its
location in your score (align to the left/right, centered).
In the following example the “Phosphate” font has been applied to a centered title.
Set up title font example
Note that you can set some information for the first page and for other pages as
well. Simply select Other Pages from the top of the Header and Footer window.
120 | Chapter 4: Writing a score
Texts & Styles
Discover the Text & Styles tab.
Texts & Styles tab
This tab allow you to customize certain elements appearing in your scores.
For each entry you have the possibility to apply a proper font, change its size and
choose a style (regular, bold, italic). The fonts are the one installed and available on
your operating system.
Extras | 121
In the following example the “Phosphate” font has been applied to the fret
numbers.
Set fret numbers font
Note that from the Texts & Styles tab you have the possibility to display your lyrics
either below the staves, aboves the staves or even to hide them.
Set up lyrics location
122 | Chapter 4: Writing a score
You can also choose to display the bar numbers on all bars, on the first bar of each
staff or even to hide them.
Bar numbers preferences
Bar numbers preferences
Finally you have the possibility to apply either a Classic or a Jazz global style to the
musical symbols included in your score.
Jazz style above vs Classic style below
Extras | 123
Notation
Discover the Notation tab.
Notation tab
124 | Chapter 4: Writing a score
The Notation tab is divided between the following sections.
Rhythmic:
From this section you will have access to the following preferences all related to the
rythmic notation.
Option
Enabled
Hide in
tablature when
using standard
notation
Disabled
Extend
rhythmic inside
tablature
Display beams
on rests in
tablature
notation
Display a circle
around half
and whole
notes in
tabalature
Force
horizontal
beams in
standard
notation
Force
horizontal
beams in drum
notation
Extras | 125
Rhythmic position in tablature:
Choose the rhythmic position in the tablature for the 4 available voices, either
above, below, or hidden.
In the following example of 3 different systems, the rhythmic is displayed above in
voice 1, below in voice 2, and the third system shows you the result in multitrack
mode.
Rhytmic position in tablature example
126 | Chapter 4: Writing a score
Symbols:
Symbols section
From this section you will have access to miscellaneous settings, all related to the
different symbols and annotations displayed in your score.
Activate or deactivate each option depending on your preferences.
Option
Rendering
Indicate where the string is touched for
artificial harmonics in tablature
Alternate representation “C” for 4/4 and 2/2
signatures
Display real pitch of heard notes for bend
effects in standard notation
Extras | 127
Option
Display arpeggio arrow
Display second note for trill effect
Always display tied notes on tablature
Add and adjust spacing between bars for Coda
Add “H/P” symbols for HoPo
Add “sl.” symbol for slide effect
Colorize fret numbers in tablature for voices 2,
3 and 4
Hide useless rests on standard notation
(disabled)
Hide dynamics (disabled)
Display fret and string of single notes in slash
notation
128 | Chapter 4: Writing a score
Rendering
Fingerings:
Fingering options
The fingerings settings allow you to choose the type of fingering for both hands
depending on your language and preferences.
• Left hand: T1234 or P1234
• Right hand: pimac or pimax or pimae or timao
Select the fingering position in staff: above, before note, below.
And the fingering position in tablature: above, below.
Fingering example (avove and below)
Extras | 129
Save your stylesheet
You have the possibility to save your own stylesheet from the Options tab located
at the bottom left corner of the stylesheet window.
Stylesheet options tab
Select Save style then name your new style.
This could be really useful if you regularly use the same style options in your files.
You also have the possibility to define this style as the default style when you open
or create a new document. To do so go to the following menu:
• File > Preferences > General (Windows)
• Guitar Pro 7 > Preferences > General (macOS)
Select the Force stylesheet (when opening or creating a file) option and make
sure to choose the right style.
“
From the Options tab located at the bottom left of the stylesheet window you also
have the possibility to load a Rock, Jazz, Classic style or one of your previously saved
styles.
130 | Chapter 4: Writing a score
Chapter 5
Audio in Guitar Pro
Learning how to deal with audio settings is of course essential in Guitar Pro. From
managing soundbanks to customize your scores, you’ll learn everything you need
to know regarding the audio configuration in Guitar Pro by consulting this next
chapter.
Abigail Keenan ( https://unsplash.com/@akeenster )
Audio in Guitar Pro | 131
Score playback
Guitar Pro has been designed to facilitate the learning of a score. Many playback
options are available.
Launching Playback
To start playing a score, you can use the playback options available from the
Sound menu, but also the shortcut Space (space bar), or even the toolbar playback
options. These same actions give you control over the playback.
The playback begins where the cursor is. If you only wish to play a specific part of a
score, you simply need to select this specific section first using your mouse.
The playback button in the toolbar:
Tempo
The Edit > Automations > Edit automations menu opens the automation
window and allows to define the initial tempo, from the same window you also have
the possibility to program tempo changes.
Access to tempo settings
This window is also accessible from the toolbar located at the top of your window,
by clicking on the tempo in the LCD screen. This is also where the actual current
tempo is displayed during the playback.
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Tempo automation dialog
Playback speed
Guitar Pro allows you to play your score at a different tempo than the one originally
set up, what can be really useful for practice.
You can activate this feature from the Relative Speed icon located in the toolbar,
and choose a predefined coefficient speed or set up the value of your choice. The
progressive speed allows you to increase the overall speed of your score for each
repetition.
Relative speed
The relative speed button allows to affect a different coefficient to the tempo in
order to speed up or slow down the playback without modify your file.
Relative speed settings
Score playback | 133
Progressive speed
Progressive speed means that speed will increase for each repetition. This
coefficient is customisable and varies from 10% to 300%. Simply select the same
button to disable this feature.
Progressive speed settigns
In order to play in loop a specific section of your score, you simply need to select
this specific area with your mouse prior to launch the playback.
Metronome and count-in
The Sound > Metronome menu allows to activate the metronome during the
playback.
The Sound > Count-in menu allows to start your playback with a count-in,
equivalent to one or two bars duration. It allows more time for you to handle your
instrument before playing but also gives a good overview of the current tempo and
so start your playing in rhythm.When the loop is activated you have the possibility
to repeat the count-in for each loop.
These options can easily be activated/deactivated from the LCD screen located at
the top of your window. It is possible to set up the metronome volume, the count-in
length but also to activate the count-in between the loops.
Metronome and count-in settings in the toolbar
1. Enable/disable count-in
2. Enable/disable metronome
3. Settings
134 | Chapter 5: Audio in Guitar Pro
Sound engine
Guitar Pro offers you the possibility to mix the RSE sound with the MIDI sound.
That means that you can decide to play some of your tracks in RSE mode and the
others in MIDI mode, and that for the same score.
The RSE and MIDI options can be activated or deactivated track by track, directly
from the track inspector. To gain time, this can be achieved for all tracks at once
from the:
• Sound > Switch all tracks to MIDI menu.
• Sound > Switch all tracks to RSE menu.
Depending on your hardware configuration, it might be necessary to adjust the
latency in positive or negative, and therefore make sure it is well synchronized
with the RSE. This setting can be configured from the File > Preferences menu
(Windows) or Guitar Pro 7 > Preferences menu (macOS). In the Preferences
window, select the Audio/MIDI tab.
Score playback | 135
Soundboard
The Soundboard is located in the left part of the Global View, at the bottom of
the user interface. It allows you to set up the audio parameters of your track such
as instrument, volume, panoramic, etc. These parameters correspond to the initial
settings of the score, but you can add changes anywhere you want in your score.
A track in the soundboard
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Track icon
Track name
Track visibility in multitrack mode
Mute track
Solo track
Track volume
Track volume automation
Track pan
Track pan automation
Track equalizer
Click on the automation buttons (7. and 9.) to enable or disable the track’s volume
and pan automations.
Solo and mute options
The soundboard includes for each track a Solo option
(symbolized by a
headphone) and a Mute option
(symbolized by a crossed out speaker). This
allows respectively to play one or several tracks in solo (without the other tracks)
and to mute one or several tracks.
• If you want to listen to only one or two tracks, it is easier to apply the Solo
mode for these tracks.
• On the other hand, if you do not want to hear only one or two tracks (to play
them yourself for example), it is easier to use the Mute option.
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The equalizer
The equalizer is directly accessible from the soundboard and allows you to set up
your track as you want to, but also to charge predefined presets for each type of
instrument. Once selected, your preset is directly applied to your track.
Track equalizer
Soundboard | 137
Track sound
Audio settings for a track has been totally revamped in Guitar Pro.
A sound is made of a sound bank (instrument) and of an effect chain. The bank
allows to choose the raw ‘unplugged’ sound of an instrument. The effect chain,
which is generally composed of a few effects pedals and one amplifier, is then
applied to the bank, this combination generates a complete sound.
Setting sound at track creation
When you create your track, a wizard window pops up. This window allows you to
choose an instrument template to which will be applied a default sound. From this
window, you have the possibility to choose an other sound for your track.
Setting sound at track creation
Once your track created, you can find its sound options again from the track
inspector.
Setting sound in track inspector
One track can include several different sounds in order to allow sound
automations (sound changes), and that from different location all over your track.
For instance, a track may begin with a clean guitar sound, and then gets a distorted
sound right in the middle of the score.
138 | Chapter 5: Audio in Guitar Pro
Header
Sounds header
1. Add a sound to the track, eventually duplicating the former sound to add a
small modification (for example, the activation of a distortion effect pedal).
2. Access to the automation window and set up these different sound changes
(see below).
3. Switch between RSE and MIDI sound engines
A single sound
A sound
1.
2.
3.
4.
Access to the sound library
Sound options (copy, paste, etc.)
Lock the sound (i.e. ignore all automations and keep using this sound)
Show/Hide sound details
When you click on the Show/Hide button, the sound details are shown.
Details of a sound
1. Text displayed on the score where the sound changes
2. Soundbank
3. Effects applied to the soundbank
Track sound | 139
Choose a different sound
Select your sound name to choose a different sound among the hundreds of
available sounds. Standard sounds for each category are listed in a first menu, but
the Signatures sub-menu gives you access to hundreds of additional sounds, all
inspired from the greatest standards of music.
Label
The title is what will be displayed on your score if this sound is used for a sound
change. By default this title is the same name as your sound, but it can be
recommended to update it (f.i. ‘w/disto’ if you change your sound for a distortion
sound).
Bank
By selecting your bank name, you have the possibility to choose an other bank for
this sound.
By clicking on the bank icon (left from the name), you can configure this specific
bank parameters (mono/stereo and mics).
Sound bank settings
1. Instrument settings
2. Instrument library
3. Bank options
Effect chain
A track has 6 different effect slots. Select an affected or empty slot to choose the
effect you want to add.
Effect slot
1.
2.
3.
4.
Effect settings
Effect library
Effect bypass (on/off)
Effect options
140 | Chapter 5: Audio in Guitar Pro
You can set an effect to an other slot by using the Move down/up menu available
by selecting the Options button at the right of your slot. You can finally copy/paste/
delete an effect from this same Options button.
Guitar Pro’s effects library contains amps, pedals and mastering DSP effects. See
the exhaustive list in the appendix for more information.
When you choose an effect, or when you select the icon of this effect (left from the
effect name), a setting window pops up allowing you to change the settings of this
effect.
Effect settings
You can activate or deactivate each effect via the power button (bypass) located on
the right.
Insert a sound change
Easily insert a sound change anywhere you want in your track.
To open the sound automations window go to the Edit > Sound > Sounds
automation or use the A button from the track inspector.
Sound automations window
Track sound | 141
Select Add an automation at the cursor and select the sound you want to apply. If
necessary update the position of your sound change.
You also have the possibility to change your sound from your cursor location by
using the Edit > Sounds > Sound-name. Sound-name being one of the sounds
that you will have previously created from the track inspector (Sounds section).
Force a sound
If you want to force the use of a sound on your track independently of the cursor
position, you can use the padlock/speaker icon for this sound (from the track
inspector, Sound section).
Sound presets
Saving a user sound preset
On the sound header, the Options button located right from the name, allows you
to save your own sound preset via the Save as user sound preset menu.
Sound options menu
You just have then to name your sound, affect it a family and a type of instrument,
so that you will be able to easily retrieve it from the track inspector. Your sound will
be listed with the list of available sounds of each category.
Save a sound as user preset
142 | Chapter 5: Audio in Guitar Pro
Managing sound presets
Sound presets are actually files on your hard drive. To manage these presets, click
on the Sound library button in the Sound header, and click on the Manage user
sound presets… menu.
Opening the sound presets folder
A file explorer will then open in the correct folder. Sounds are classified by category,
families and instruments.
OS
Windows
macOS
Folder path
%APPDATA%/Arobas Music/guitarpro7/My Sound Presets
~/Library/Application Support/Arobas Music/GuitarPro7/My Sound Presets
Sounds folder hierarchy
By default, folders are there, but empty because there is no user presets yet.
Modifying this folder will automatically affect Guitar Pro presets lists. You can
delete files to delete presets, or copy-paste presets here from an other computer to
access them in your own Guitar Pro.
Track sound | 143
Score sound
The output sound of a score depends of what is called the mastering. The
mastering is the final treatment that is applied to the sound of the score.
In Guitar Pro, the mastering is made of 3 effects applied one after each other.
Sound mastering
1. A compressor/limiter
2. A reverb
3. An equalizer
The 3 slots works similarly as the track effect slots. However, for the mastering,
each slot’s library is limited to the type of the slot.
Sound mastering
1.
2.
3.
4.
Effect settings
Effect library
Effect bypass (on/off)
Effect options
You can activate or deactivate each effect via the power button (bypass) located on
the right.
144 | Chapter 5: Audio in Guitar Pro
MIDI
Definition
MIDI (short for Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a technical standard that
describes a communications protocol that allows a wide variety of electronic
musical instruments, computers and other related music and audio devices to
connect and communicate with one another. MIDI files carry information
describing a score precisely: notes, rhythm, tempo, instruments, etc.
The quality of the sound you produce will depend on your equipment (soundcard,
actual or virtual synthesizer) – and not on Guitar Pro as such, as the program
will merely send information about pitch and duration to your equipment for it to
transform that information into sound.
Similarly, the list of the instruments available in Guitar Pro is defined by the general
MIDI norms, and is not extensible unless you use some specific equipment.
MIDI Output
Guitar Pro can use up to 4 simultaneous MIDI ports. You can assign a different
MIDI device to each of those ports.
It is recommended to choose the best MIDI device for port 1, as this is set as the
default one when a new track is created in Guitar Pro.
To apply a MIDI playback to your score, either go to the Sound > Switch all
tracks to Midi menu or select the MIDI option for the selected track from the
Track Inspector. This one will offer you the possibility to mix RSE tracks with MIDI
tracks.
MIDI sound enable for the current track
Eventually, you can force the MIDI mode for all tracks at the opening and creation
of your score. To do so go to the Preferences, General Tab, and select the option
Force playback with MIDI.
MIDI | 145
MIDI sound in the track inspector
Ports and Channels
In the Instrument panel you can choose which port and which channel(s) to use for
each track.
MIDI channels settings in the inspector
By default Guitar Pro assigns 2 channels to every track in order to better the effects
playback (the effects get played on a separate channel so as not to affect the notes
that bear no effect). If two tracks are using the same channels on the same port
(roll down the list to get the tracks’ numbers), their audio properties (instrument,
volume, pan) will be tied. It is therefore advisable to use only one channel per track
if your score contains a great number of tracks.
By convention, the percussions tracks are always assigned to channel 10 (a MIDI
norm). You may choose to activate the force 11-16 option to make Guitar Pro use
one MIDI channel for each string for a given track (which is useful if you have
several different bends on a same beat).
“
It is possible to change these settings track by track by switching the track to MIDI.
New options will appear in the Track Inspector, allowing you to change ports and
channels.
MIDI Capture
You can capture notes via an external MIDI instrument (keyboard, guitar, any
correctly set MIDI controller). Entering notes is made note by note.
146 | Chapter 5: Audio in Guitar Pro
Line-in
Guitar Pro offers you the possibility to plug your guitar via an audio interface
(soundcard) and hear you play in the software using by the occasion the effects
models of your track via the numerous audio preset and available soundbanks.
You can play along songs in Guitar Pro, fully taking the role of the guitarist. For
this, select the guitar track of your choice. Mute this guitar track from the Mute
option available in the soundboard (left part of the global view). Once your guitar
is plugged in and the Line In option activated, launch the playback: your score is
playing but your guitar track remains silent. You have now to play this guitar track
using your own guitar.
Your playing is immediately reproduce in Guitar Pro, in real time with no latency,
using the predefined sound applied to your guitar track. If there is any sound
change in your track, this one will be automatically applied depending on your
cursor position.
Connections
You need to connect an audio interface to your computer. It may be an external
device (connected with USB or Firewire), or an internal device (audio card plugged
on PCI or PCI-e).
Connect your guitar to the audio interface, using a jack cable. You may need to read
the audio interface manual to make the right settings.
Connect external speakers or headphones to the audio interface. You may also use
your computer’s speakers.
Line-in connections
Line-in | 147
Audio input configuration
Line-in popup, OFF state
Select the Line In icon located on the right of your toolbar.
Click on the gear wheel to check that you well selected your soundcard has audio
Input from the audio preferences (Audio/MIDI tab in the Preferences window).
“
You may hear a powerful feedback. Decrease the volume as suggested by the
application.
Line-in popup, ON state
Carefully activate the option. Once the Line In is activated, you have to choose the
right audio input for your soundcard (the one where you plugged your guitar).
You can then apply some specific settings:
• Input gain: allows to increase or decrease the output gain of your
soundcard, and so allow you to adjust your sound rendering.
• Effects chain: allows to choose if you want to use the effects chain of
your track or not. For example if you use an effects simulator instead of the
Guitar Pro effects, it is preferable to disable it for tuning.
148 | Chapter 5: Audio in Guitar Pro
• Noise Gate: this setting allows to prevent background sound when your
guitar is plugged in but you are not playing it. To set up this option, you have
to slowly turn the potentiometer up, until you notice that the background
sound disappeared (guitar plugged without playing).
• Volume: allows to adjust the output volume of the Line In instrument in
the general mix.
• Limiter: allows to prevent the feedback effect by decreasing the volume of
sounds exceeding a certain limit.
You can change the effect chain at any time from the track inspector. Keep in mind
to turn off the Line In option after using it. If not, you computer sound might be
affected (Guitar Pro keeps on treating audio signals coming from your guitar so you
might still hear noise).
“
To make the best out of the Line In feature and for an optimal use, it is strongly
recommended to use the same soundcard for both the audio input and the audio
output.
Line-in | 149
150 | Chapter 5: Audio in Guitar Pro
Chapter 6
Import and export files
Guitar Pro offers you the possibility to import and export a wide range of file
formats. This chapter details what are the compatible formats and how to import/
export these files in Guitar Pro. Print options are also developed in this chapter.
Marius Masalar ( https://unsplash.com/@marius )
Import and export files | 151
File import
Guitar Pro lets you open files in different formats than specific Guitar Pro formats.
Export options are available from the File > Export menu.
ASCII import
To import ASCII files go to the File > Import > ASCII menu.
ASCII file example
Guitar Pro is able to analyze the ASCII text files to extract the musical information.
It is possible to get a Guitar Pro score you can play, modify, or print from a symbolic
score.
Guitar Pro imports notes, rhythm, effects and bar changes. The import is done on
the active track. So it is possible to successively import several files corresponding
to the different instruments.
The imported file can contain comments or misc. text. Guitar Pro is able to extract
the tablature whatever the content of the file is.
The only rules to respect for the import to work are:
• Lines have to be represented by series of hyphens: - .
• Bar changes have to be indicated by a vertical bar on each of the strings: | .
• No empty line has can be present between two strings of a same line of
tablature.
• Comments inside the tablature lines are prohibited.
Once an ASCII import is complete, it is often necessary to review the rhythm, so the
bars be complete. The Check bar duration tool (Tools menu) can come in handy in
that case.
If the score is played and the bars are not complete, the rhythm will be false, and
the notes beyond the bar duration won’t be played.
152 | Chapter 6: Import and export files
MIDI import
The File > Import > MIDI menu allows you to import a MIDI file into Guitar Pro.
Guitar Pro supports MIDI formats from 0 to 1.
MIDI import window
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Destination score
Track selection
Global parameters
Score options
Real-time preview
Destination score
This option allows you to choose to import your MIDI file either in a new file or
in the current one. In the second case, the MIDI tracks will be added after the last
track of your active file.
File import | 153
Track selection
You can choose which tracks to include and which tracks to exclude by checking or
unchecking them.
Track settings
1.
2.
3.
4.
If checked, track will be imported
Destination track
Instrument
Individual parameters
Destination track
Each track of the MIDI file can be associated to a new track of the final import.
By default, each MIDI track will be associated to a distinct track of the final import.
In the particular case where Guitar Pro detects a grand staff, the two MIDI tracks
will be associated to the same track of the final import, but this can be modified
manually to associate the second staff to an independent track.
If you select the same final track for several MIDI tracks, all the MIDI tracks will be
merged and imported on the same track.
Track instrument
The instrument is determined by the ‘Program change’ information indicated in the
MIDI file for each track. When this information is not in the file, the instrument will
be a piano by default. By clicking on the button, you will open a window to choose
the instrument which allow to select:
•
•
•
•
•
•
The instrument (MIDI or RSE)
The tuning
The staff count
The notations
The color and icon of the track
The sound
154 | Chapter 6: Import and export files
“
Sometimes, drum tracks are detected as piano tracks, or guitar tracks have a grand
staff. This is because the MIDI source file does not contain the correct program
change data.
To fix this, simply click the instrument to change the instrument or the staff count
to force a simple or grand staff.
Track individual parameters
You can adjust individual score settings for each track, see the next part.
Global track parameters
You can set both global track parameters, that will be applied to all tracks, and
individual track parameters.
Quantization
The quantization determines the rhythm accuracy of the imported notes.
For instance, if the quantization is based on the quarter note and the original
rhythm was four eight notes, these four eight notes will become a quarter note
chord based on the beat.
On the other hand, if the quantization is based on the sixteenth note and that the
MIDI file includes real human playing, dealing with approximate rhythms, a too
high quantization may alter the score precision by adding rhythms where it is not
necessary. It is then necessary to adjust the file based on the original file and the
desired result.
Set the minimum length of the imported notes. For MIDI file captured from live
recording, it is recommended to choose a low quantization, as the duration will
be approximate, on the other hand for an accurate but complex file, a high
quantization will be recommended.
fig 1.
Increase the note value
If there is a silent between a note and the next one, this one will be increased in
order to obtain a less complex and choppy rhythm.
File import | 155
fig 2.
Import of dotted notes
Allows to transform tied notes in dotted notes if the general value of the note allows
it.
fig 3.
Authorize multivoice
If some notes are overlapping on the duration, one of the note will be placed on an
other voice for a better fluidity.
fig 4.
Authorize triplets
If a note length is close to a triplet length, then it will be considered as such.
If the MIDI file is live recorded, it is not advised to activate this option because with
this duration the file is usually really approximate, so a note is often considered as
a triplet even if it isn’t one in the original song.
fig 5.
Two channels per track
The source file may have been recorded with 2 channels per track. Check this option
if it is the case.
Score options
Several options are available to optimize the score depending on the MIDI file
content.
156 | Chapter 6: Import and export files
Time signatures import
Imports the existing time signatures in the MIDI file.
If the option is not activated and ’New file’is selected, the time signature will be in
major C by default.
Key signatures import
Imports the existing key signatures in the MIDI file.
If the option is not activated and ’New file’is selected, the key signature will be 4/4
by default and the notes will be divided according to this key signature.
Tempo import
Imports the existing tempos in the MIDI file.
If the option is not activated and ‘New file’ selected, the tempo will be 120bpm by
default.
Set sound tracks in MIDI / RSE
Sets all tracks in MIDI or RSE sound.
Score preview
The score preview displays the currently selected track, and allows you to
previsualize it before importing.
The score preview is automatically updated each time a parameter is modified.
File import | 157
MusicXML, PowerTab and TablEdit import
The File > Import menu allows you to import standard and compressed
MusicXML files into Guitar Pro.
Created by Recordare®, MusicXML is a XML description of a music score. This is a
universal exchange format that is now available in most music softwares programs.
If you want to learn more about MusicXML we invite you to consult this link (
http://usermanuals.musicxml.com/MusicXML/MusicXML.htm ) .
You can import PowerTab® and TablEdit® formats from the same menu.
158 | Chapter 6: Import and export files
File export
Guitar Pro let you save files in other formats, thus allowing to exploit them in other
programs. Export options are in File > Export.
Audio exports
Guitar Pro allows you to export your Guitar Pro scores into the following audio
formats: MP3, WAV, OGG, FLAC and AIFF. Export from the File > Export >
Audio menu.
This will allow you to save an audio copy of your score, and for instance allow you
to listen to it by use of any regular audio player, without Guitar Pro. If you want to
export just a specific part of your score, simply make sure to do a multiple selection
prior to your export and check Export only selection.
It is possible to export each track in a separate file, and to include or ignore
metronome and countdown.
Audio export window
File export | 159
ASCII export
The File > Export > ASCII Tab menu lets you export the active track into ASCII
format
ASCII export example
An ASCII tablature is a simple text file, used to write tablatures for guitar, bass or
drums. It uses only letters, numbers and basic ASCII symbols. Consequently, this
format is very popular and widespread.
Symbol
L
x
h
b
s
~
g
>
t
M
.
P
S
+
W
<
w
=
v
^
V
n
Meaning
tied note
dead note
hammer on/pull off
bend
slide
vibrato
ghost note
accentuated note
trill
palm mute
staccato
popping (bass)
slapping (bass)
tapping
wide vibrato
fade in
whammy bar
tremolo picking
brush up
brush down
pick stroke up
pick stroke down
MIDI export
The File > Export > MIDI menu exports the score into a MIDI (format 1) file (
.mid ).
160 | Chapter 6: Import and export files
To choose not to export a track, just mute it in the left part of the global view.
Guitar Pro allows you to use 2 channels for a single track to enhance the sound
restitution. Some software does not support this functionality. So if you have a
problem opening Guitar Pro exported MIDI files, use a single channel per track.
MusicXML export
The File > Export > MusicXML menu lets you export the score into MusicXML
format.
Created by Recordare®, MusicXML is a XML description of a music score. This is a
universal exchange format that is now available in most music softwares programs.
If you want to learn more about MusicXML we invite you to consult this link (
http://usermanuals.musicxml.com/MusicXML/MusicXML.htm ) .
PDF export
The File > Export > PDF menu allows you to export the entire score into the
Adobe® PDF® format, readable and printable by anybody who uses the free
Adobe® Reader® software, or any other PDF reader.
The exported file contains vector paths, thus is suitable if you need a scalable
picture.
PNG export
The File > Export > PNG menu allows you to save the score in the form of a
picture file. This function is handy if you plan to publish your creations on a web
page, for example. The PNG format is adapted to computer screens. If you wish to
insert your score into a document for print, we recommend you use PDF.
The image you get from the export is exactly the same as the image you see in the
Guitar Pro editor.
File export | 161
Printing
Go to the File > Print menu to get a printout of your score ( Ctrl+P on Windows,
⌘P on macOS). Printing is also possible from the toolbar if the Guitar Pro window
.
is wide enough to display this button
Print options depend on what your printer offers. Use the Stylesheet to customize
fonts, page setup, margins, and all other page settings, accessible from the File >
Stylesheet menu.
“
To get the best print result, please make sure to install the most recent driver
available for your printer.
162 | Chapter 6: Import and export files
Chapter 7
Tools
Guitar Pro includes all the main guitarist tools to enhance your experience. The next
chapter details how to use the chord diagrams generator, the scales tool, the tuner,
but also the file protection options, the file browser, the different instrument views
and the Fretlight feature.
Kelly Sikkema ( https://unsplash.com/@kellysikkema )
Tools | 163
Chord diagrams
Diagram creation
The chord diagram generator not only allows you to make your tablature richer,
it constitutes a genuine reference tool for guitarists, even independently of the
tablature.
To open the chord diagram tool, go to the Note > Chord menu or use the A
keyboard shortcut. You can also modify an existing chord by clicking on it in the
score.
Just like every tool in Guitar Pro, the Chord Diagram Generator automatically
adjusts to the tuning chosen for the active track. You may therefore generate chord
diagrams even for exotic tuning modes — such as cannot usually be found in chord
charts.
The chord diagram tool is composed of several areas, these one are interactives and
it is important to know how they work in order to make the best out of the chord
diagrams tool.
164 | Chapter 7: Tools
Chord building
Chord building
The first part allows to build the chord by its name. Thousands of possibilities are
possible.
When you select a tonality among the available chord diagrams list, Guitar Pro
displays the position of the hand for this specific chord.
A list of equivalent diagrams is available, select the button next to the suggested
chord name to have access to other names.
You can define a chord inversion (in which the Bass note differs from the root), or
simply specify which note you want for the Bass (on the lowest string).
From this window, you have the possibility to hide or display in your score, either
the name, the diagram or the fingering for your chord.
Main diagram
Once your tonality selected, your main diagram appears, that means that he will be
added to your score, and so as its name, its fingering, and theoretical construct.
Chord diagrams | 165
The fingering is displayed in the circle of the note (1 for the index finger, 2 for the
middle finger and so on..). It also appears below the chord diagram. To modify it, a
simple right click over a finger position will let you to change the fingering.
The option Highlight root note allows to change the color of the root note on the
diagram (it is not reflected on the score).
You can built a diagram by selecting this one directly:
• Select a fret to add or remove a note.
• Use the scrolling bar to change the root fret.
• Barre chords are automatically suggested by Guitar Pro.
You may change the default name suggested by Guitar Pro that will appear in your
score. Three chord name formats are available: Classic, Jazz and Rock.
“
To keep the chord name as appearing in the field, you just have to write an
apostrophe (’) just before the chord name.
Just above the diagram, a circle symbolises a string played open (i.e. without
pressing a fret), while a cross symbolises a string that is not played.
Diagram list
A list of possible diagrams for the chord is displayed in the main area, those are
listed by difficulty order. Select one of this diagram to make it your main diagram.
To listen to the selected diagram, select the playback button available from the top
right corner of your Chord window.
Miscellaneous
When you open the chord diagrams window, the notes related to the selected beat
are automatically placed on the main diagram if no diagram was previously defined
for this beat.
When the Show Diagram option is enabled, the notes of the main diagram are
automatically added to your score if no note was previously defined for the selected
beat. If not, only the chord diagram will be displayed over the beat.
The Stylesheet allows to change the diagrams size and their position in your score.
For further information, see the corresponding chapter.
166 | Chapter 7: Tools
In short terms, the chord diagrams tool can have many functions:
• Adding chord diagrams to your tablature.
• Learning the different positions possible on the fretboard for a given chord.
• Knowing the name of a chord you found on your instrument, and learning
other possible positions or fingering for that specific chord.
• Retrieve the positions of the standard chords with exotic tunings of your
instrument.
Chord diagrams | 167
Chord diagram library
When you create a chord diagram, it is added to the track’s chord diagram library.
You can access this library from the edition palette, by clicking on the Chords
button. You can also create a chord by clicking on the + button in this window.
Chords that only the name is displayed on the score have their diagrams greyed-out.
Track chords
168 | Chapter 7: Tools
Scales
The Scale Engine allows you to view and listen to a great number of scales in any
tonality. It can also retrieve the scale used in a score.
To activate the scale engine go to the Tools > Scales menu.
Scales library
Scales library
Guitar Pro proposes over 1000 different scales. To find a scale, you may either
check some Tags to filter your search, or use the search engine based on a key word.
The scale will appear in the chosen tone.
Guitar Pro displays the notes on the scale. To listen to them, click on the play
button. Guitar Pro also shows the way the scale is constructed, with an indication of
intervals and semi-tones between notes.
Just like all of the other Guitar Pro tools, the way the notes are displayed on the
fretboard is related to the tuning chosen for the active track.
Scale on the fretboard
Scales | 169
Scale on the keyboard
Analysing the scale used in the score
Select the bars to analyze from your score, and click on Find scales from selection.
Guitar Pro shows you a list of possible tones and scales, and indicates percentage
statistics of their occurrences, in descending order.
If the scale search gives bad results, it may be because the score includes a change of
tones. In that case, you need to find that change by ear, and limit your scale analysis
to a range of bars with no tonal change.
Guitar Pro does not allow you to directly place a scale from the Scale tool on the
tablature. However, by displaying the scale on the fretboard, it is then easy to click
on it to place the notes on the tablature. You can also right-click to make the cursor
move to the right after adding a note. The operation is then really quick.
170 | Chapter 7: Tools
Instruments views
Instrument views in Guitar Pro are reproduction of a part of an instrument, and let
you write notes by clicking on them.
To show the instrument views, use these 3 menus in the View menu:
• View > Show fretboard view
• View > Show keyboard view
• View > Show drumkit view
The keyboard shortcut is Ctrl + F6 on Windows and ⌘ + F6 on macOS. It
reacts according to the type of the track you’re on. Triggering this shortcut on
a stringed instrument will show/hide the fretboard. Triggering this shortcut on
a pitched instrument will show/hide the keyboard. On a percussion track, this
shortcut is associated to the drumkit view.
You may also click on the instrument views icons on the right of the toolbar
Instrument views icons in toolbar
Guitar Pro features 3 instrument views: a guitar fretboard, a keyboard and a
drumkit view.
• A track with a pitched instrument (fretted/stringed or not) can be
displayed only on the fretboard and keyboard views: guitar, bass and
others stringed instruments, pianos, synths, orchestral instruments,
pitched percussions, etc.
• A track with a non-pitched instrument (i.e. purely percussive) can only
show the drumkit view.
Fretboard and keyboard views can be displayed simultaneously, which allows you
to see how to play the score on both instruments.
Shared features
Instrument views allows you to write notes with the mouse, by directly clicking on
the notes. The Previous and Next buttons let you move in the score so you don’t
have to use your computer keyboard. A clic on an existing note will erase it.
Select the gear wheel located on the left of the instrument view window to access to
options.
Instruments views | 171
Various view options are available:
• Show Beat: to see only the notes on the selected beat.
• Show Beat + Bar: to see the notes of the selected beat and the notes of the
active bar.
• Show Beat + Next Beat: to see the notes of the selected beat and the notes
of the next beat.
Fretboard and keyboard views
The fretboard view offers many features. It can be used to view the notes of the
score, to enter notes, or to visualise a scale.
Moreover, the note pointed at by the mouse is displayed at 2 places (so you don’t
need to click on the fretboard):
• Under the mouse, by hovering the instrument. This is configurable via the
options.
• In the left part (the number is the octave).
Fretboard view
Fretboard view
1. Move the cursor left and right.
2. Settings
The fretboard automatically adjusts to the active track settings. The number of
strings and the position of the capo are set by the track settings. If you change the
active track, the fretboard will automatically update to reflect the new track.
To add a note on your score, simply select it from the guitar fretboard by clicking
the fret and the string you want. To delete a note, just click on it.
“
By default, the view is suited for right-handed people. Left-handed mode is also
available for the fretboard. Click on the settings button and enable the left-handed
mode in the popup that opens.
172 | Chapter 7: Tools
Keyboard view
Keyboard view
1. Move the cursor left and right.
2. Settings
The keyboard view allows you to visualize the playable range of your current track.
Unplayable notes, because too low or too high to be accessed by the instrument, are
greyed-out and are not clickable.
To add a note on the score, just click on a key. To delete a note, click on that note.
“
It is possible to display both the fretboard and keyboard views at the same time.
Scales
Fretboard view with a scale
Keyboard view with a scale
It is possible to show (or hide) a scale on the fretboard and keyboard views. Access
directly to the scale tool window from your instrument view, by enabling the scale
display, then by clicking on the button below to choose the scale.
You can still visualise your scale while entering your notes.
You may choose to highlight the root note or not. It will be shown as a square
instead of a circle.
Instruments views | 173
Drumkit view
Drumkit view
1. Move the cursor left and right.
2. Settings
The drumkit view window can be configured to show multiple views:
• Staff view: displays all the available drum elements for the current track.
• MIDI view: show MIDI elements.
Staff view
Select one of this element, Guitar Pro will show you which keyboard shortcut is
dedicated for this element (numeric keypad), this will make your edition easier and
faster. Available shortcuts depend on the staff line the cursor is on.
The note pointed at by the mouse is displayed. You don’t need to click on the
drumkit view element. This window shows you the name of the drums element
pointed at but also its MIDI value.
MIDI view
The MIDI view allows you to visualize all the playable elements by the drumkit.
Guitar Pro offers an extended elements palette compared to the standard General
MIDI palette. To display only General MIDI elements, please select the option in
the settings popup, accessible from the little gear icon.
174 | Chapter 7: Tools
Notes names
You have the possibility to choose how the notes names are displayed. Three
options are available:
• Hide the name of the drumkit elements.
• Only display the element names under the mouse.
• Display all notes. Both the element names and the MIDI values will be
displayed.
“
Changing the MIDI elements text size is possible from the settings popup.
Instruments views | 175
Tuner
Guitar Pro comes with a built-in professional polyphonic tuner easily accessible
from the toolbar
. One single brush allows you to check your tuning for all your
strings. The polyphonic tuner is in the lower part, while the monophonic one is in
the upper part.
The tuner is set on the current track’s tuning. The tuning notes are displayed from
left to right, from bigger string to thinner string. Variations are calculated and
displayed from their target value. The unit is the tone. The closer the red bar is to
the center, the closer the string is to the target value. The bar becomes green when
the string is in tune.
Polyphonic tuner popup
To be more precise, you may want to play only one note at a time: this note will be
detected and displayed in the upper part. Also, by clicking on a specific note, you
can select it to be displayed in the upper part.
176 | Chapter 7: Tools
File protection
Guitar Pro allows you to protect your file and decrease the possibilities to see
it modified, what could be really useful if you want to protect your work or for
instance share it with your students and prevent modifications, in case you are a
teacher.
Locking/unlocking window
Go to the File > Lock/Unlock menu and access these protection options:
• Finalize: Finalize a file and prevent unwanted modifications. You simply
have to unlock your file to be able to modify it again.
• Lock editing: prevent any modification. The file is protected by a
password. This option is useful for teachers wishing to distribute their files
and avoid modifications by students.
• Lock opening: Makes it impossible to open the file without the password.
Useful for websites selling online lessons for instance.
“
Please make sure to note or save your password as you won’t have any possibility to
open your file if the password is lost.
Also note that the password does not constitute an absolute guarantee that your file
can not be opened by a person with dubious intentions. It is a soft protection which
does not involve complex algorithms.
File protection | 177
Fretlight
Guitar Pro is natively compatible with Fretlight ( https://fretlight.com/ ) ® guitars.
These guitars feature small LEDs that light up to show which frets you should put
your fingers on.
Unlike previous Guitar Pro versions, it is no longer necessary to pay an extra fee to
enjoy the capabilities offered by your Fretlight guitar with Guitar Pro.
“
Fretlight Wireless is only available on Windows 10, macOS from 10.10 and with
Bluetooth 4.0.
Enabling Fretlight
However, the Fretlight button is not visible by default in the toolbar. To make it
visible, go to the Interface tab in the preferences window (File > Preferences
menu on Windows, or Guitar Pro 7 > Preferences menu on macOS). Then check
.
Show Fretlight button. It will then appear as follow from the toolbar
Once enabled, you will notice that a new icon appeared in your toolbar at the top
right corner. This button opens a popup, allowing you to configure what is displayed
on your Fretlight guitar. Available options are the following.
Fretlight Settings
Fretlight settings popup
178 | Chapter 7: Tools
Enable / disable
The button at the top-right corner of the popup enables or disables the display on
your Fretlight guitar. However, settings are saved for a later enabling.
Device
You may want to choose which device to link to Guitar Pro, among those plugged in
USB or connected via Bluetooth to your computer.
Mode
This mode corresponds to what is actually displayed on your Fretlight guitar.
• Tablature: Only tablature notes will be lit up on the Fretlight guitar,
depending on the cursor position.
• Chords: Only tablature chords will be lit be on the Fretlight guitar,
depending if a chord is present at the cursor position.
• Scale: Only the notes from the selected scale in the Scale window will be lit
up on the Fretlight guitar.
Left-handed
Check this option to tell to your Fretlight guitar to take into consideration that you
are left-handed when lighting LEDs up.
Fret range
It is possible to restrain the display to a sub-part of the fretboard. Select the first
and last fret between which you want LEDs to actually be lit up.
USB pedal buttons assignation
The Fretlight USB pedal allows you to control Guitar Pro without using the mouse.
It becomes very hand to assign to theses buttons actions that you often need to do,
among what is available.
Fretlight Wireless Guitar
Guitar Pro is also compatible with Fretlight Wireless Guitars ( https://fretlight.com
) (Bluetooth). This feature is supported from macOS 10.10 and Windows 10 only, it
will require at least Bluetooth 4.0.
Once activated your Fretlight guitar will automatically be detected by Guitar Pro
after a short syncing time (about ten seconds) and then appear as Connected in
the Fretlight preferences window.
Fretlight | 179
If your Bluetooth guitar does not appear as connected:
• Make sure your computer meets the minimum requirements Windows 10
or macOS 10.10.
• Make sure your computer use at least Bluetooth 4.0 and that the Bluetooth
option is enabled.
• Make sure that your Fretlight guitar is not already connected to an other
peripheral or program.
• Reset the Fretlight guitar by pushing the black button located next to the
mic USB entry.
• Press it until all the lights flash
• Then open Guitar Pro and one of your file, your Fretlight guitar should
connect automatically.
180 | Chapter 7: Tools
Browser
Guitar Pro comes with a built-in file explorer that allows you to quickly access to
your Guitar Pro files.
You can easily access this browser directly from the Guitar Pro welcome page or
from the File > Browse menu (shortcut: Ctrl+B on Windows or ⌘B on macOS).
Local files
Browser window (local files tab)
The Local Files tab lists all the Guitar Pro files available on your hard disk or in a
specific folder. Click on the button at the bottom to modify the path where you want
Guitar Pro to index your files.
The search box, along with the visual and audio preview, allow you to quickly find
the files you are looking for.
Browser | 181
Online files (mySongBook)
Browser window (online files tab)
The mySongBook tab connects to the Internet to retrieve the list of your
mySongBook tabs, once connected to your mySongBook account.
mySongBook connection
182 | Chapter 7: Tools
Note that, even if you’re not connected, you can discover mySongBook with a free
tab (read-only) every day.
macOS Keychain
On macOS, the mySongBook password is saved in the keychain. You computer
will ask you to confirm that your mySongBook information will be stored in the
Keychain, under the name ArobasMusic_MSB . Enter your macOS session password and
click on Allow.
mySongbook asks permission to modify the Keychain
Browser | 183
184 | Chapter 7: Tools
Chapter 8
mySongBook
Arobas Music developed and publishes its own offical high quality tabs website
called mySongBook. Discover more information about mySongBook and learn how
to use these tabs with Guitar Pro in this dedicated chapter.
Dominik Scythe ( https://unsplash.com/@drscythe )
mySongBook | 185
What is mySongBook?
mySongBook ( http://www.mysongbook.com ) is the official tablatures website
of Arobas Music. It is a qualitative and legal offer and it respects copyright by
remuneration of the copyright holders via their official publishers.
Thousands of scores edited by professional musicians, are available on
mySongBook. You will find unpublished arrangements for guitar, bass or other
stringed instruments, as well as complete and accurate scores respecting all the
instruments included in the original pieces (guitar, bass, drums, keyboard and
lyrics).
Our tabs audio settings are all made by professionals. Each tab is as faithful as
possible to its original version. As a result, mySongBook is the best option to make
the best out of Guitar Pro’s Line In feature, as you can play with the same guitar
sound than your favorite guitar players.
186 | Chapter 8: mySongBook
Open a file from mySongbook.com
Create an account for free or connect
http://www.mysongbook.com ) website.
to
the
mysongbook.com
(
Select one of your tab from your purchased list or any available tab if you purchased
a monthly subscription. Launch your tab from the mySongBook website. Your tab
will open directly in Guitar Pro.
Access your mySongBook tab directly from Guitar
Pro
Open Guitar Pro and select Browse from the Welcome page. Fill in both your
email address and password. Access your mySongBook purchases directly from this
window, select one of purchase to open it in Guitar Pro.
mySongBook login window
The Free Tab of The Day
A Free Tab of The Day is available every day from the mySongBook website (
http://www.mysongbook.com ) .
You can also access it directly from the Welcome page of Guitar Pro, in the
Examples tab, once connected to your mySongBook account as previously
explained.
Open a file from mySongbook.com | 187
188 | Chapter 8: mySongBook
Chapter 9
Preferences
Familiarize yourself with the Guitar Pro preferences. These settings are important
to master in order to make the best out of your Guitar Pro experience. The Guitar
Pro preferences are divided into five panels. Learn more about each panel in this
dedicated chapter.
Roberta Sorge ( https://unsplash.com/@robertina )
Preferences | 189
General preferences
This is the main tab for configuring the general behavior of Guitar Pro.
These settings are directly modified when you change them, and don’t require to
validate (no need to click any OK button).
General preferences
Documents
Default template
When you create a new document in Guitar Pro, it is by default empty and the
document does not contain any track. It is possible to change this behavior and
automatically create pre-configured tracks when you create a new document. For
example, the preset Jazz Trio will create a new file with already 3 tracks: a jazz
guitar, an upright bass, and drums.
Force options
When a Guitar Pro file is created or opened, it already contains information about
how it looks: stylesheet, pages layout, zoom, notation and playback engine. Guitar
Pro uses this information to display and play the document. All these settings are
editable individually, on a per-document basis.
However, you can override these document settings, without modifying the
document. You may want to always force a 150% zoom, or always force MIDI
playback when playing a document.
190 | Chapter 9: Preferences
Open last session documents
If you have opened tabs when you close Guitar Pro, it is possible to automatically
re-open them the next time you launch Guitar Pro.
Updates
Checking frequency
Guitar Pro automatically checks for updates regularly. By default, this check is
made every week. You may want to modify the frequency, or even never check for
updates.
However, updating Guitar Pro is strongly recommended, since each update brings
bugfixes and new functionalities. Guitar Pro updates come often, about every
couple of months or so.
Beta versions
From a software development point of view, there are 3 big steps for an app:
• Alpha version: this version stays private in the company. A list of
corrections/modifications is established as a goal for the version.
• Beta version: when the Alpha version is stable enough, it becomes Beta
and users are allowed to try it. However, this beta version may still contain
bugs and issues. Beta-testers are then asked to inform developers of the
found issues, to help them fix the app.
• Release version: when the Beta version is stable and all the issues in the
list have been fixed, the version is publicly released and becomes the official
version.
You may want to help our team to improve Guitar Pro by installing beta versions
instead of using the release versions. If so, we are very grateful.
Be aware that beta versions are not 100% stable and may contain bugs, but these
are quickly fixed if you tell us how to reproduce them. Contact us on the support
( https://support.guitar-pro.com/hc/en-us/requests/new ) and tell us about bugs
and suggestions. A new beta update will then be provided to you and other betausers.
The advantage of using beta versions is to have bugfixes and new features before
everyone else. The agreement is that you help us making Guitar Pro better by
informing us about the issues.
Beta versions are free if you already own a Guitar Pro license. You can revert back
to a regular release version at any moment by unchecking the option.
General preferences | 191
Interface preferences
This tabs allows you to configure the Guitar Pro’s user interface.
These settings are directly modified when you change them, and don’t require to
validate (no need to click any OK button).
Interface preferences
Score
Playing cursor style
When Guitar Pro is playing the score, the cursor moves beat after beat in real time.
Its behavior is editable:
•
•
•
•
None: No cursor during playback
Smooth: the cursor smoothly moves from beat to beat
Each note: the cursor moves suddenly from beat to beat
Metronome: the cursor only moves based on the metronome ticks
Highlight current played bar
When Guitar Pro is playing the score, the current playing bar is highlight in pale
yellow. You may want to disable this highlighting.
Plus/minus keys behavior
The + and - keys are used to change the note duration. By default, + speed
up the duration (e.g. a quarter note becomes a half note), and - speed down the
duration.
192 | Chapter 9: Preferences
Toolbar
Show Fretlight button
Guitar Pro is compatible with Fretlight® guitars. These are special guitars that
show you how to play with small lights on the fretboard. See the dedicated chapter
for more information.
By default, the Fretlight® button is not shown in the toolbar, since not everyone
own a Fretlight® guitar. You may want to show this button, by checking the option.
Interface
Language
Guitar Pro is available in multiple languages. The modification is not immediate,
you must restart the application after choosing an other language.
Interface preferences | 193
Score errors preferences
When you write a score, some errors may occur. Guitar Pro automatically detects
this errors, a bit like a spelling check in a word processor. Errors are displayed in
red.
An incomplete bar in the score
These settings are directly modified when you change them, and don’t require to
validate (no need to click any OK button).
Error preferences
194 | Chapter 9: Preferences
User information preferences
When creating a new file, the score information is empty: no author nor copyright
information. You can write them in the preferences to get these fields automatically
filled in every new file.
User info in a new file
Information preferences
These settings are directly modified when you change them, and don’t require to
validate (no need to click any OK button).
User information preferences | 195
Audio preferences
This is the tab where you can configure audio and MIDI settings in Guitar Pro.
These settings are directly modified when you change them, and don’t require to
validate (no need to click any OK button).
Audio preferences
Audio
Device
Choose among the plugged devices. We strongly recommend using an ASIO device
on Windows. The ASIO drivers are vital to use the Line-In functionality in Guitar
Pro, and to get the best out of the application in general. On macOS, the CoreAudio
drivers are used.
Audio output
Audio output corresponds to the output (e.g. speakers, headphones, etc.) where
Guitar Pro will send the audio signal. It depends on what equipment is plugged to
your computer.
196 | Chapter 9: Preferences
Some equipment may have multiple outputs: select the one you want in the second
combobox.
Check if your setup works by clicking on the Check button, to hear some sound.
Audio input
Audio input corresponds to the source of the audio for the Line-In: which input
(e.g microphone, guitar, etc.) to use. The possible audio inputs depend on which
equipment is plugged to your computer.
The little bar on the right is a VU-meter. You can see if audio signal is actually
detected in the selected input.
Buffer size
In the audio vocabulary, we say there is latency when there is a delay between
the moment of the sound emission and the moment you receive it. This latency is
due to multiple causes. Studies have shown our brain does not feel latency when
sounds are delayed up to 10 ms. For greater values, we hear an undesired delay.
This latency is particularly annoying when we try to play along or record a track,
because we don’t hear the sound immediately.
The audio signal is processed like the following scheme. Your audio device (sound
card) receive and handles the audio signal. It converts an analog (i.e. a ‘real’ signal)
into a digital signal (i.e. a ‘virtual’ signal). This step already adds a few ms to the
latency, depending on your audio device. It then sends it at 44100Hz to the audio
application: 44100 samples per second.
Audio processing (simplified)
The audio application does not process the samples immediately because it would
overload the computer’s CPU. So we use a buffer: a small space (in the computer’s
memory) where we store the audio samples before processing them. A common
buffer size is 512 samples: the computer will process samples by groups of 512.
Audio preferences | 197
In theory, the smaller is the buffer size, the lower is the latency. However, working
with small buffers can be demanding for your computer. When the audio buffer is
too small, you get playback issues: clicks, pops and stutter.
On the other hand, if the buffer is too big, the application will wait too long to
process it, and the listener will hear latency.
Choose then the appropriate buffer size to fit your needs.
MIDI Output
Guitar Pro allows you to use 4 MIDI ports at the same time. You can set a different
MIDI device on each port.
You should choose the best MIDI device for the first port, since it is the default one
when you create a track in Guitar Pro. The Test buttons play a sound sample on the
selected device. If you hear no sound, the device may be unusable, or muted.
The Latency setting allows to synchronize the playback between the MIDI and
RSE outputs when both are simultaneously used. If the MIDI output is in late,
increase the MIDI latency, else increase the RSE latency. Note that the metronome
always uses the MIDI output, so it can be used to set the appropriate latency.
MIDI Input
Device
The MIDI Input allows you to capture notes with a MIDI instrument. The
instrument must have a MIDI input driver installed in Windows, must be plugged
and selected in the Device area.
Capture sensitivity
MIDI input is made note by note. The Capture sensitivity allows you to change
the maximum delay between two notes of a same chord in milliseconds. When
the duration between two played notes is more important than the sensitivity, the
second note is placed on a new beat.
String affectation using channel detection
When using a MIDI keyboard, the MIDI notes don’t have string and fret
information. Guitar Pro is able to automatically assign string and fret information
to MIDI notes when played, based on what is currently played, to optimize fingering
on the fretboard.
198 | Chapter 9: Preferences
You may own a MIDI guitar, able to send each string to a different channel. You may
then decide to assign strings in a different way, depending on your MIDI guitar:
First channel for the highest string or First channel for the lowest string.
Audio preferences | 199
200 | Chapter 9: Preferences
Chapter 10
Appendix
You might find those useful. The Appendix section details all the available keyboard
shortcuts, but it also summarizes the complete list of Signature Sounds and all the
Effects used in Guitar Pro.
Markus Spiske ( https://unsplash.com/@markusspiske )
Appendix | 201
Signature sounds
Signature sounds have been inspired from famous guitar sounds. Here you will find
some tables to help you reproduce your favorite guitar player’s sound.
202 | Chapter 10: Appendix
Clean electric Guitar
Preset
18
Africa
Alabama
Song
18 & Life
Africa
Sweet Home Alabama
Always with Me Always with
Always with Me
You
Android
Paranoid Android
Anywhere
I Don’t Live Anywhere
As You Are
Come As You Are
Avenged
B or W
Black or White
Bay
Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay
Beautiful Day Beautiful Day
Bottle
Message in a Bottle
Breath
Every Breathe You Take
Breathless
Breathless
Carry On
Carry On Wayward Son
Change
Wind of Change
Charming
This Charming Man
Communique Communique
Crazy Diamond Shine on You Crazy Diamond
Creep
Creep
Crosstown
Crosstown Traffic
Crush
The Crush of Love
Dancing
Don’t Stop Dancing
Daughter
Mama Talk to Your Daughter
Delay Like Hell Run Like Hell
Dime
Don’t Cry
Don’t Cry
Echoes
Echoes
Everlong
Everlong
Fluorescent
Fluorescent Adolescent
Fly
Learning to Fly
Freak
Le Freak
Free Ride
Free Ride
Free
I’m Free
Gloria
Gloria
Got the Blues Still Got the Blues
Help
Help!
Artist
Skid Row
Toto
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Joe Satriani
Radiohead
Joe Bonamassa
Nirvana
Avenged Sevenfold
Michael Jackson
Otis Redding
U2
The Police
The Police
The Corrs
Kansas
Scorpions
The Smiths
Dire Straits
Pink Floyd
Radiohead
Jimi Hendrix
Joe Satriani
Creed
Robben Ford
Pink Floyd
Pantera (Dimebag Darrell)
Guns ’n Roses
Pink Floyd
Foo Fighters
Arctic Monkeys
Tom Petty
Chic
Edgar Winter Group
The Rolling Stones
Them
Gary Moore
The Beatles
Clean electric Guitar | 203
Preset
Highway 61
Holding
Company
Jailhouse
Jamming
Autowah
Joe
Kiss
Kryptonite
Kung Wah
Leppard
Like Heaven
Loser
Love Thing
Mardy
Mars
Matters
Mayer
Medicate
Dream
Midnight Lee
Midnight strat
Million Miles
Misery
Money
Moon
Moonlight
Mr Jones
Nervous
Night
No Surprises
One
Parisienne
Song
Highway 61
Jailhouse Rock
Artist
Bob Dylan
Big Brother and the Holding
Company
Elvis Presley
Jamming
Bob Marley
Hey Joe
Kiss
Kryptonite
Kung Fu
Jimi Hendrix
Prince
3 Doors Down
Curtis Mayfield
Def Leppard
The Cure
Beck
Joe Satriani
Arctic Monkeys
30 Seconds to Mars
Metallica
John Mayer
Just Like Heaven
Loser
Love Thing
Mardy Bum
The Kill
Nothing Else Matters
Octavarium II Medicate
(Awakening)
After Midnight (Live)
After Midnight (Live)
A Million Miles Away
Misery
Money
Walking on the Moon
Moonlight Shadow
Mr Jones
19th Nervous Breakdown
Still of the Night
No Surprises
One
Parisienne Walkways
Blueberry Old Time Picking
Parlour
Parlour
Pieces
Pieces
Preacher Man Son of a Preacher Man
Probably Lead It’s Probably Me
Purple
Purple Rain
Ramblin
Ramblin’ Man
Refried
Refried Funky Chicken
204 | Chapter 10: Appendix
Dream Theater
Albert Lee
Eric Clapton
Rory Gallagher
Maroon 5
Pink Floyd
The Police
Mike Oldfield
Counting Crows
The Rolling Stones
Whitesnake
Radiohead
Metallica
Gary Moore
Marcel Dadi
Sum 41
Dusty Springfield
Eric Clapton
Prince
The allman Brothers
Dixie Dregs
Preset
Autowah
Refried Wah
Remains
Roxanne
Running
Sailor
Sanatarium
Sensitive
Sex Machine
Shelter
So Heavy
Stay Alive
Stuck
Sultans
Song
Artist
Refried Funky Chicken
The Song Remains the Same
Roxanne
Long Train Running
Single Handed Sailor
Sanatarium
Sensitive Kind
Sex Machine
Gimme Shelter
I Want You (She’s So Heavy)
Stayin’ Alive
Stuck with You
Sultans of Swing
Summertime
Summertime
Surrender
Tissue
Too Good
Travis
Under Bridge
Wall
Wes
Wing
Zombie
Tender Surrender
Scar Tissue
Ain’t Too Good
Dixie Dregs
Led Zeppelin
The Police
The Doobie Brothers
Dire Straits
Metallica
J.J. Cale
James Brown
The Rolling Stones
The Beatles
The Bee Gees
Huey Lewis and the News
Dire Straits
Big Brother and the Holding
Company
Steve Vai
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Rory Gallagher
Merle Travis
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Pink Floyd
Wes Montgomery
Jimi Hendrix
The Cranberries
Under the Bridge
The Wall
Little Wing
Zombie
Overdrive Guitar
Preset
69
Bout Love
Alabama
And Them
Anywhere
Apache
Back in Anger
Banquet
Betty
Bottom
Breeze
Song
Summer of 69
Ain’t Talkin’ Bout Love
Sweet Home Alabama
Us and Them
I Don’t Live Anywhere
Apache
Don’t Look Back in Anger
Banquet
Black Betty
Fat Bottomed Girls
Call Me the Breeze
Artist
Bryan Adams
Van Halen
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Pink Floyd
Joe Bonamassa
The Shadows
Oasis
Bloc Party
Ram Jam
Queen
J.J. Cale
Clean electric Guitar | 205
Preset
Brother
Burn
Song
The Brother
Burn
Business
Takin’ Care of Business
Can’t Dance
Charming
I Can’t Dance
This Charming Man
Sergent Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club
Club Band
Band
Cocaine
Cocaine
Communication Communication Breakdown
Cries Mary
The Wind Cries Mary
Crosscut
Crosscut Saw
Crossing Time Double Crossing Time
Cruise
Cruise Control
Damn Right
Damn Right I’ve Got the Blues
Don’t Stop
Don’t Stop
Dream On
Dream On
Edge
Emotions
Emotions Wound Us So
F.B.I.
F.B.I.
Fluorescent
Fluorescent Adolescent
For Nothing
Money for Nothing
Forever
Fuck Forever
Franz
Give It Up
Don’t Give It Up
Glass
Heart of Glass
Goes Down
When the Sun Goes Down
Going Home
Going Home
Goode
Johnny B. Goode
Highway
Highway to Hell
Hip
What Is Hip?
Hoochie
Rock and Roll
Immigrant
Immigrant Song
In Arms
Brothers in Arms
In Time
Back in Time
Jack
Jessica
Kashmir
Lithium
Lotta
The Jack
Jessica
Kashmir
Lithium
Whole Lotta Love
206 | Chapter 10: Appendix
Artist
Robben Ford
Deep Purple
Bachman Turner
Overdrive
Genesis
The Smiths
The Beatles
Eric Clapton
Led Zeppelin
Jimi Hendrix
Albert King
Eric Clapton
Dixie Dregs
Buddy Guy
Fleewood Mac
Aerosmith
The Edge
Larry Carlton
The Shadows
Arctic Monkeys
Dire Straits
Babyshambles
Franz Ferdinand
Larry Carlton
Blondie
Arctic Monkeys
Ten Years After
Chuck Berry
ACDC
Hoochie Koo
Led Zeppelin
Dire Straits
Huey Lewis and the
News
ACDC
The Allman Brothers
Led Zeppelin
Nirvana
Led Zeppelin
Preset
Mars
Mayer
My Car
Nation Army
Nice Guy
Song
The Kill
Drive My Car
Seven Nation Army
No More Mr Nice Guy
Of Love
The Power of Love
On It
Outsider
Pa Ti
Page
Pieces
Pork Pie
Pretender
Ramble
Reaper
Reelin
Rory
SRV Wing
Sand
Sling Shot
Smoke
Snake Boogie
So Heavy
Springfield
Sugar
Sultans
Sunshine
Surrender
Sweet Dreams
T.N.T.
This Way
Thrill
To Run
Today
Voodoo Wah
Who
Writer
Yell
You Girls
Stand on It
The Outsider
Samba Pa Ti
Pieces
Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
The Pretender
Ramble On
Don’t Fear the Reaper
Reelin’ in the Years
Little Wing
Castles Made of Sand
Sling Shot
Smoke on the Water
Tube Snake Boogie
I Want You (She’s So Heavy)
For What It’s Worth
Brown Sugar
Sultans of Swing
Sunshine of Your Love
Tender Surrender
Sweet Dreams
T.N.T.
Walk This Way
The Thrill Is Gone
Born to Run
Had to Cry Today
Voodoo Child
Who Are You
Lady Writer
Rebel Yell
No You Girls
Artist
30 Seconds to Mars
John Mayer
The Beatles
The White Stripes
Alice Cooper
Huey Lewis and the
News
Jeff Beck
A Perfect Circle
Santana
Jimmy Page
Sum 41
Jeff Beck
Foo Fighters
Led Zeppelin
Blue Oyster Cult
Steely Dan
Rory Gallagher
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Jimi Hendrix
Jeff Beck
Deep Purple
ZZ Top
The Beatles
Buffalo Springfield
The Rolling Stones
Dire Straits
Cream
Steve Vai
Marilyn Manson
ACDC
Aerosmith
B.B. King
Bruce Springsteen
Eric Clapton
Jimi Hendrix
The Who
Dire Straits
Billy Idol
Franz Ferdinand
Clean electric Guitar | 207
Preset
Ziggy
Song
Ziggy Stardust
Artist
David Bowie
Distortion Guitar
Preset
As You Are
Bad Horsie
Bat
Blink
Bolero
Chickenfoot
Creep
Creeping
Crosstown Fuzz
Crowley
Crush Wah
Dover
EVH One
Empty Spaces
Engage
Eruption
For All
Force
George
Get Ready
Harlot
Hills Autowah
Holy Wars
Hysteria
Idiot
Incubus
John Henry
Kickstart
Kryptonite
Lead
Lead Bat
Lead Gary
Lead Godzilla
Lead Hysteria
Lead Luke
Song
Come As You Are
Bad Horsie
Bat Country
All the Small Things
Beck’s Bolero
Artist
Nirvana
Steve Vai
Avenged Sevenfold
Blink 182
Jeff Beck
Joe Satriani
Creep
Radiohead
Creeping Death
Metallica
Crosstown Traffic
Jimi Hendrix
Mister Crowley
Ozzy Osbourne
The Crush of Love
Joe Satriani
Cliffs of Dover
Eric Johnson
I’m the One
Van Halen
Empty Spaces
Pink Floyd
Killswitch Engage
Eruption
Van Halen
Metallica
Rising Force
Yngwie Malmsteen
George Harrison
People Get Ready
Jeff Beck
Beast and the Harlot
Avenged Sevenfold
Run to the Hills
Iron Maiden
Holy Wars … The Punishment Due Megadeth
Hysteria
Def Leppard
American Idiot
Green Day
Incubus
The Ballad of John Henry
Joe Bonamassa
Kickstart My Heart
Mötley Crüe
Kryptonite
3 Doors Down
Van Halen
Bat Country
Avenged Sevenfold
Gary Moore
Godzilla
Blue Oyster Cult
Hysteria
Toto
208 | Chapter 10: Appendix
Preset
Song
Lead Maiden
Lead Marty
Lead May Wah
Lead Money
Money
Lead Nightmare Nightmare
Lead Puppets
Master of Puppets
Lead Razors
Octavarium V Razors Edge
Lead It
Beat It
Lonely Heart
Owner of a Lonely Heart
Maiden
Motorcycle Club
Nice
No More Mister Nice Guy
Nightmare
Nightmare
No One Knows No One Knows
O’Mine
Sweet Child O’Mine
Orchid Octaver Blue Orchid
Paranoid Octave Paranoid
Parisienne
Parisienne Walkways
Park
Personality
Cult of Personality
Psycho
Psychosocial
Puppets
Master of Puppets
Purple
Purple Rain
Ride
Ride
Rising Force
Rising Force
Rock You
We Will Rock You
Rough
Rough Boy
Satch
Satch Boogie
Surfing Wah
Surfing with the Alien
Teen Spirit
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Two Rivers
Two Rivers
Walk
Walk
Wall
The Wall
White Octave
Lazaretto
With the Flow Go with the Flow
Yankee
Yankee Rose
Yell Lead
Rebel Yell
Artist
Iron Maiden
Marty Friedman
Queen
Pink Floyd
Avenged Sevenfold
Metallica
Dream Theater
Van Halen
Yes
Iron Maiden
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Alice Cooper
Avenged Sevenfold
Queens of the Stone Age
Guns ’n Roses
The White Stripes
Black Sabbath
Gary Moore
Linkin Park
Living Colour
Slipknot
Metallica
Prince
The Vines
Yngwie Malmsteen
Queen
ZZ Top
Joe Satriani
Joe Satriani
Nirvana
Jeff Beck
Pantera
Pink Floyd
Jack White
Queens of the Stone Age
Steve Vai
Billy Idol
Clean electric Guitar | 209
Jazz Guitar
Preset
Ford
Pass
Pat
Wes
Song
Artist
Robben Ford
Joe Pass
Pat Metheny
Wes Montgomery
12-String Electric Guitar
Preset
Tambourine
Ticket
Song
Mr Tambourine Man
Ticket to Ride
Artist
Bob Dylan
The Beatles
Electric sitar
Preset
Paint
Song
Paint It Black
210 | Chapter 10: Appendix
Artist
The Rolling Stones
Effects
Amps
Guitar Amps
Top30 : Combo (Vox
AC30)
American Clean : Combo
American Tweed :
(Fender American)
Combo (Fender Tweed)
Eddie : Combo
Vintage : Stack
(Marshall)
Stack : Stack (Marshall)
Recti : Stack
Modern : Stack
Overloud : Stack
Light : UK Light
Rotary : Speaker
Stack : Aural
Light
Bass Amps
Stack : Classic (Ampeg)
Effects | 211
Pedals
Distortion
Blues : Overdrive
Preamp :
Overdrive
Screamer :
Overdrive
Jordan : Overdrive
Rat : Distortion
Grunge : Distortion
DistoPlus :
Distortion
Classic : Distortion Metal : Distortion
Machine : Fuzz
Fast : Fuzz
Pi : Fuzz Big Muff
Ensemble : Chorus
String : Chorus
B-Chorus : Chorus
Mistress : Flanger
Jet : Flanger
90 : Phaser
Stone : Phaser
Modulation
212 | Chapter 10: Appendix
Bender : Fuzz
B-Overdrive :
Overdrive
Tremolo/Vibrato
Vibe : Vibrato
Opto : Tremolo
Bias : Tremolo
Compressor
Sorr
Orange
Reverb
Spring
Pitch
Octaver
Pitch Wham
GEq
BEq
Eq
Acoustic Eq
Volume
Effects | 213
Wah
AutoWah
GWah
Horse
Vintage
BWah
Jimi
Baby (Cry Baby)
Studio : Reverb
Room
Ambience : Reverb
Room
Percussive: Plate
Mastering
Dynamics
Analog
Classic
Equalizers
10-Band
15-Band
Reverb
Concert : Reverb
Hall
Theater : Reverb
Small Theater
214 | Chapter 10: Appendix
Digital Effects
T-Delay : Delay
tape
D-Delay : Digital
delay
D-Chorus : Digital D-Flanger : Digital
chorus
flanger
Effects | 215
Keyboard shortcuts
Action
Add Track
All-Track Copy
All-Track Cut
Arpeggio Down
Arpeggio Up
Artificial Harmonic
Barre
Barre de Vibrato
Bend
Brush Down
Brush Up
Change Accidental
Check bar duration
Chord
Close All Files
Close File
Copy
Copy Last Beat
Cut
Dead Note
Decrease Note Duration
Delete
Delete Bar
Delete Note
Delete the Beats
Delete Track
Design Mode
Directions
Dotting
Double Dotting
Double Flat
Double Sharp
Edit Automations
Edit Section
Edit Voice 1
Edit Voice 2
Edit Voice 3
216 | Chapter 10: Appendix
/
/
/
/
/
⌥⌘N
⇧⌘C
⇧⌘X
⇧⌘D
⇧⌘U
/
/
/
⌥Y
⇧I
⇧W
Ctrl+Shift+Ins
Ctrl+Shift+C
Ctrl+Shift+X
Ctrl+Shift+D
Ctrl+Shift+U
Ctrl+Alt+Y
Shift+I
Shift+W
B
/
/
⌘D
⌘U
⌥⌘8
Ctrl+D
Ctrl+U
/
Ctrl+Alt+8
/
Ctrl+Shift+W
F4
A
⇧⌘W
⌘W
⌘C
/
/
Ctrl+C
/
Ctrl+X
Ctrl+W
C
⌘X
X
/
/
/
/
/
+
⌦
⌃⌫
⌘-
=
Ctrl+Shift+Del
Ctrl+Del
Backspace
Shift+Del
/
/
⌥⌘R
⌃⌥D
Del
Ctrl+Alt+D
D
.
/
⌘.
/
⇧.
/
⌥⌘7
⌥⌘9
⌘
Shift+.
/
Ctrl+.
/
/
Ctrl+Alt+7
/
Shift+Ins
Ctrl+Alt+9
F10
⌥⌘+
⌘1
⌘2
⌘3
/
/
/
Ctrl+1
Ctrl+2
Ctrl+3
/
Ctrl+
Action
Edit Voice 4
Exit full screen mode
Fade In
Fade Out
Fast Forward
Fermata
Flat
Force Break Line
Forward
Free Time
Full Screen
Ghost Note
Go To
Grace note(s) before the beat
Grace note(s) on beat
Hammer On / Pull Off
Heavily Accented Note
Increase Note Duration
Insert a Beat
Insert Bar
Key
Key signature
Last Bar
Left Hand Tapping
Left Hand Vibrato (Slight)
Legato
Legato Slide
Let Ring
Move Cursor To: Beginning Of Bar
Move Cursor To: First Bar
Move Cursor To: Last Bar
Move Cursor To: Next Beat
Move Cursor To: Next Line
Move Cursor To: Next Staff
Move Cursor To: Previous Beat
Move Cursor To: Previous Line
Move Cursor To: Previous Staff
Move Down
Move down
⌘4
/
Ctrl+4
/
Ctrl+Right
/
/
/
Ctrl+7
Esc
<
>
⌘→
F
⌘7
⌘↵
⌥→
|
/
Ctrl+Return
Alt+Right
⌥⇧+L
/
Alt+Shift+L
F11
O
⌘G
/
Ctrl+G
/
Ctrl+Alt+G
G
⌥G
H
:
-
/
⌃+
⌘+
_
/
/
Ctrl+Ins
/
/
Ctrl+K
Ins
K
⌘K
⌘↘
(
/
Ctrl+End
/
⇧(
(
/
Shift+(
V
/
⇧H
Shift+H
S
i
↖
/
/
⌘↖
↘
→
↓
⇥
←
↑
⇤
Home
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
⌥↓
⌥⌘↓
Ctrl+Home
End
Right
Down
Tab
Left
Up
⇧⇥
/
/
Backtab
/
Shift+Tab
Alt+Down
/
Ctrl+Alt+Down
Keyboard shortcuts | 217
Action
Move Up
Move Up
Move Voice
Move Voice
Move Voice
Move Voice
Multirest
Multitrack
Multivoice edition
Natural
Natural Harmonic
New File
Next Section
Next Tab
Next Track
Note accented
One semitone down
One semitone up
Open File
Palm Mute On Beat
Palm Mute On Note
Paste
PickStroke Down
PickStroke Up
Play From The Beginning
Play/Pause
Preferences
Prevent Break Line
Previous Section
Previous Tab
Previous Track
Print
Quit
Rasgueado
Redo
Relative Speed
Repeat Close
Repeat One Bar
Repeat Open
218 | Chapter 10: Appendix
/
⌥↑
Alt+Up
/
⌥⌘↑
/
/
/
/
/
⌥1
⌥2
⌥3
⌥4
⌘R
Ctrl+Alt+Up
Alt+4
Alt+2
Alt+3
Alt+1
Ctrl+R
F3
⌘M
⌘8
/
/
Ctrl+8
/
Ctrl+N
Ctrl+M
Y
⌘N
/
⌥⌘→
/
/
⌃⇥
⌘↓
Ctrl+Alt+Right
Ctrl+Tab
Ctrl+Down
;
/
/
⌥⇧↓
⌥⇧↑
⌘O
⇧P
/
/
Alt+Shift+Down
Alt+Shift+Up
Ctrl+O
Shift+P
P
⌘V
⇧D
⇧U
/
/
/
Ctrl+V
Shift+D
Shift+U
/
⇧Space
Ctrl+Space
Space
⌘,
&
/
/
Ctrl+,
/
⇧&
Shift+&
/ Ctrl+Alt+Left
⌃⇧⇤ / Ctrl+Shift+Tab /
⌘↑ / Ctrl+Up
⌘P / Ctrl+P
⌥F4 / Alt+F4
⇧R / Shift+R
⇧⌘Z / Ctrl+Y
⌘F9 / Ctrl+F9
⌥⌘←
]
%
[
/
/
/
⇧%
⇧[
/
Shift+%
[
/
Shift+[
Ctrl+Backtab
Action
Repeat two Bars
Rest
Rewind
Save
Save As
Score Stylesheet
Select All
Select Beat
Selection Until First Bar
Selection Until First Beat
Selection Until Last Beat
Selection Until Next Bar
Selection Until Next Beat
Selection Until Previous Bar
Selection Until Last Bar
Selection Until Previous Beat
Sharp
Shift Slide
Show/Hide Global View
Show/Hide Instrument View
Show/Hide Palette
Show/Hide Song Inspector
Show/Hide Track Inspector
Slap
Special Paste
Staccato
Step Backward
Tapping
Text
Tie Beat
Tie Note
Time Signature
Timer
Toggle Loop
Tremolo Bar
Tremolo Picking (32th note)
Trill
Triolet
Triplet Feel
/
⌘%
⇧⌘%
Ctrl+%
/
Ctrl+Shift+%
R
/ Ctrl+Left
⌘S / Ctrl+S
⇧⌘S / Ctrl+Shift+S
⌘←
F7
/
/
⌘A
⇧↑
Ctrl+A
⇧↓
/
⇧⌘↖
/
/
⇧↖
⇧↘
Ctrl+Shift+Right
Shift+Right
/
/
⇧⌘↘
⌥S
Shift+Down
Ctrl+Shift+Home
/
⇧⌘←
⌘9
/
Shift+End
/
⇧←
Shift+Up
Shift+Home
⇧⌘→
⇧→
/
/
/
/
Ctrl+Shift+Left
Ctrl+Shift+End
Shift+Left
Ctrl+9
Ctrl+Alt+S
F8
/
⌘F6
Ctrl+F6
F2
F5
F6
$
/
⇧⌘V
Ctrl+Shift+V
!
⌥←
/
Alt+Left
)
T
⇧L
/
Shift+L
/
Ctrl+T
/
Ctrl+Alt+V
L
⌘T
@
F9
⌥V
“
/
⇧”
/
⇧/
N
/
⌘/
/
/
⇧⌘/
Shift+/
Ctrl+/
/
Ctrl+Shift+/
Keyboard shortcuts | 219
Action
Type Note
Undo
Vibrato with tremolo bar (Slight)
Vibrato with tremolo bar (Wide)
Volume Swell
Wah Close
Wah Open
Zoom In
Zoom Out
220 | Chapter 10: Appendix
⌤
⌘Z
/
/
↵
/
Enter
/
Return
Ctrl+Z
W
⌥W
⌥<
⌥C
⌥O
⌘>
⌘<
/
/
/
/
/
/
Ctrl+Alt+W
⌥> Alt+<
/
Alt+>
Ctrl+Alt+C
Ctrl+Alt+O
Ctrl++
Ctrl+-
/
Ctrl+Shift++